


To Break a Curse

by Telvia



Category: Super Junior, Super Junior-M
Genre: Baristas, Curse Breaking, Drama, M/M, Romance, Smut, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-01 08:01:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 41
Words: 79,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10184618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Telvia/pseuds/Telvia
Summary: I found the most adorable kitten on my way home from work one rainy night. I couldn't just leave him in that cardboard box so I brought him home with me, having no qualms with welcoming the little cutie into my home. Little did I know, I was signing up for way more than furballs and scratch marks.





	1. Lucky Find

**Author's Note:**

> Written in Leeteuk's POV.
> 
> Archive Warning for later chapters.

It was pouring rain by the time I stepped out of the coffee shop, still clad in my barista uniform. I silently cursed at myself for declining the offer of my fellow coworker Ryeowook's spare umbrella. Why hadn't I accepted? He had a spare! Who carries a spare umbrella? Squinting against the onslaught of the fat drops of water, I began to splash my way down the sidewalk in the direction of my apartment. Within a few steps I was soaked to the bone. My bangs hung in my face, dripping water into my eyes, my shoes and socks were soaked from landing in puddles, my white shirt clung to my body, my apron and pants hung heavy with water. I shivered from the cold, opting to wrap my arms around my body instead of using them to shield my face from the rain.

I turned sharply when I came to a corner, slipping and landing brutally on one knee. Pain shot up my leg and I grit my teeth to keep from crying out. Slowly pulling myself back up to my feet, I looked around. Not a single soul occupied the sidewalk besides myself. Not surprising. It was a tsunami out here, not to mention it was late. I was just about to head off again when a soft mewling caught my attention. Straining my ears, I tried to decipher where it was coming from. Glancing around, I blinked the water out of my eyes only to make room for more.

My gaze landed on a soggy cardboard box stashed in the corner of an alley to my right. My eyes widened as I watched a white paw bat at one of the flaps of the darkened box. I rushed toward it, falling to my good knee to get a better look as I pulled back the flaps to see what was inside. A black face blinked up at me. I smiled in greeting. It was a little abandoned kitten. It was all black except for its paws, stained white as if dipped in paint when born.

“Hello there,” I cooed, trying to assure the little fur ball that I was friend and not foe.

It mewled back at me cutely, tilting its head to the side and standing up on its hind legs to perch itself on the edge of the box.

“Wanna come home with me? It's gotta be better than this box.”

I held my hands open for it to sniff, letting it gather my scent before slipping my hands under its front arms and pulling it into my lap.

“I promise to put you in something warmer when we get home,” I said as I wrapped it up in my barista apron to help protect it from the rain.

I walked swiftly in lieu of running, not wanting to take another nasty tumble now that I had precious cargo. The kitten remained still on our journey and I found myself hoping it was okay. It hadn't looked sick when I found it. Maybe a little thin but nothing too serious. I shifted the warm bundle to my left arm as I dug in my pocket for my keys. I unlocked the door of my third floor apartment, stepped inside, closed and relocked the door behind me and slid off my soggy shoes. I really didn't want to trail water throughout my apartment. I stood there, rocking gently on the balls of my feet as I debated how to go about this, creating a lake by my front door.

“Mew.”

“Kitty first,” I nodded to myself.

I rushed to the bathroom. Luckily it was the first door of my hallway so not much water was able to drip annoyingly to the floor of my apartment. Flicking the light switch on with my elbow, I unwrapped the kitten and placed him on the white rug on the floor outside my shower. At least, I thought it was a him. I didn't know how to tell and I wasn't about to go snooping around for kitty parts to be sure. He walked around on the rug experimentally, his charcoal fur a striking contrast against the white cotton. He dipped his head down to sniff at the rug.

“Please don't tell me you have to go potty,” I pleaded as I glanced down at him worriedly.

He peeked up at me and plopped down on his butt. I snorted as I began to peel off my sodden clothes, wringing out the excess water in the sink. I mumbled to myself as I worked. 

“What to feed you tonight? I have milk. What if you _do_ have to go potty? Gotta go shopping tomorrow, good thing it's my day off.”

I let out a sigh as I pushed my pants down my thighs and tugged them off my legs.

“No need to shower. I pretty much already had one. You too. I'll take one tomorrow after shopping.”

I turned back to the ebony kitten and spread my arms open wide, clad in only my damp boxers briefs.

“Welcome to your new home! Well only part of it. This is only the bathroom. I'll probably put your litter box in here … maybe.” It only made sense that we do our business in the same room.

I smiled to myself as I grabbed a hand towel from the linen cabinet and took a seat with my back facing the open door. My arms and legs were spread, trying to urge the kitten to come to me willingly.

“C'mere,” I coaxed, wiggling my fingers and toes. “I won't hurt you, let's get you dried off.”

He merely blinked his brown eyes at me, twisting his head to the side curiously. I pursed my lips in thought. Reaching up, I grabbed another towel for myself. I began to dry my dripping hair, hoping he understood I would like to do the same with his soaked fur. He took a tentative step forward, sniffing at the air. I watched as his cute, little, pink nose twitched as it worked. It was almost as if he was trying to distract me from the fact that he was indeed drawing closer to me.

“Almost there,” I said softly, reaching out an upturned hand so his cold nose could bounce against my fingertips.

I slid the towel draped across my shoulders off me and wound it behind him so he couldn't backpedal to his escape. Until he remembered he could jump. Yet he didn't seem at all frightened so I took advantage. Scooping the hand towel back up, I began rubbing him down gently. His eyes closed lazily with the motion of my hands and I grinned.

“Feel good? I don't understand why anybody would abandon you like that. You're so _cute_. I always wanted a cute little kitten. What luck that I found you, huh? I should give you a name, but I'll wait on it a while. Give me some time to learn your personality first, okay?”

A small yawn was my only response as he flopped over onto his side. I chuckled, scrubbing his now dry tummy with the pads of my fingers.

“Tired? Let's get you some food first. I might still have a can or two of kitty food left in my pantry after watching Heechul's kitties.”

Thank goodness, I did. I had opened both cans, emptied them into a dish and placed it on the floor of the kitchen for him to eat. He went straight for it and mowed down so fast I was afraid he might choke. After polishing off his entire meal, he looked up at me expectantly. I offered my empty hands in apology.

“That's all I have. I'll pick up more tomorrow. You can last till then, right?”

I could've sworn he rolled his brown orbs at me before turning to the water dish I set out for him. I was probably just tired. I stifled a yawn, tears springing to my aching eyes. Today had been a long day and I was more than ready to slip under the covers of my comfy bed and conk out.

“Ready for bed, too? Come on, let's go. I'll show you to our room.”

I patted my thigh as I switched off the kitchen light and strolled down the hallway. Stopping at the closet near my bedroom, I fished out a pillow and a blanket before continuing into my room. I shut the door after he scampered in after me. Getting to work making his bed in the corner of my room, I put down the pillow first then wrapped the blanket around the edge like a nest.

“This will be your bed just for tonight. I'll get you a better one tomorrow. You're gonna be well taken care of.”

As he padded over to it to go check it out, I moved to my dresser to change out of my damp underwear. I pulled pajama pants on and tossed the wet fabric into my white hamper, sliding into my comfortable bed with a long sigh. I buried my face in the pillow, looking forward to sleep. I rested the side of my face against the pillow to face the bedroom door. My eyes flicked open when I heard a soft thump hit the floor of my room. I quirked a brow in wonder when I heard it again. Peeking over the edge of my mattress, I watched as the kitten tried to jump up into bed with me. He couldn't make the colossal height. It was too high for his little body, but he never gave up.

“What are you doing?” I asked gently. “I made you a bed.”

He stood up on his hind legs, body stretching so his front paws reached the side of the bed as high as they could. Lifting one paw, he batted at the air, begging to be pulled up into bed with me. My heart melted, he was so adorable. I couldn't resist him. Maybe I wouldn't have to buy him a bed if he preferred to share mine with me. It's not like I couldn't spare the room. He started to cry desperately and I shot my hands out to pick him up to silence him, depositing him down on the bed so he could get comfy.

“Cry like that and I'm afraid I'll spoil you rotten.”

Collapsing back onto my front, I watched with amusement out of the corner of my eye as he sniffed around.

“Please don't tinkle in my bed,” I mumbled into my pillow, pulling the blanket up to my neck.

He drew closer to me in search of the perfect spot. His whiskers tickled my face as he sniffed at my cheeks and nose.

“Gonna sleep on my face?” I reached out to poke his belly gently. “The pillow woulda been more comfy.”

My words were drawn out as I fought sleep. I blinked languidly as I continued to watch him explore the terrain of the bed. He had started to purr. The low rumble soothing and melodic. I ran my hand down his spine, feeling myself get pulled deeper before slipping away.

 

 

Warm. _Too_ warm. And I felt constricted. I peeked through my eyes groggily, looking around as if I weren't sure where I was. As if this wasn't my bedroom of the apartment I paid rent for every month. But it was. Of course it was. I was facing the opposite direction of when I had fallen asleep, staring at the window of my bedroom without really seeing it. I slid my eyes shut again, sinking down into the mattress and leaning into the warmth draped across my back. My eyes snapped open, suddenly realizing what the constriction was caused by. Lifting my left, free arm, I peeled the blanket away from my body and glanced down. An arm was curled across my torso, hand splayed protectively against my bare chest.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	2. Introductions

_Warm. **Too** warm. And I felt constricted. I peeked through my eyes groggily, looking around as if I weren't sure where I was. As if this wasn't my bedroom of the apartment I paid rent for every month. But it was. Of course it was. I was facing the opposite direction of when I had fallen asleep, staring at the window of my bedroom without really seeing it. I slid my eyes shut again, sinking down into the mattress and leaning into the warmth draped across my back. My eyes snapped open, suddenly realizing what the constriction was caused by. Lifting my left, free arm, I peeled the blanket away from my body and glanced down. An arm was curled across my torso, hand splayed protectively against my bare chest. _

 

The hair on the back of my neck prickled, warm breath moistening my skin and sending chills down my spine. I started to hyperventilate, breaths coming in quick gasps. I couldn't take it. I snapped. I wrenched the arm away from me, leaping from the bed and backing myself into the corner between the wall and bed. It was still dark out, the heat having woke me up initially. Moonlight filtered in from the blinds, casting my bedroom in a slight glow. 

My frantic eyes darted to the bed. There was a man in my bed. A _man_ in my _bed_. An attractive man but that wasn't the point. How did he get here? I pressed my sweaty palms against the wall behind me as I surveyed the situation. He was sleeping peacefully on his side, facing me. His hair was the deepest black I had ever seen and it looked soft to the touch. His skin was pale and flawless until my eyes dropped to the expanse of his chest. It was crisscrossed with scars. My brows knitted with concern as my eyes roamed over the white marks. My blanket hung low on his waist. I knew he was naked beneath the fabric, the dark trail of hair below his belly button dipping beneath the covers. He was well toned, small definition in his abs and hipbones. Not overly muscular but definitely fit and lean. I flicked my eyes back to his face, to his full, slightly parted lips.

“Who are you?” I demanded loudly, trying to calm my hysteria.

His face scrunched in agitation, shoulders pulling up around his neck.

“Nn,” he groaned in a deep, rich timbre. “Be quiet. Sleeping.”

I darted my hand out to grab a pillow from my bed, raising it in front of me defensively.

“Wake up!” I yelled shrilly.

He moaned in annoyance, rolling onto his stomach and covering his face with his hands as he buried deeper into my other pillow. My eyes widened. He had more, thicker scars on his back. I hit my mattress with the pillow in my hands, hoping to wake him up. It only took a few sharp snaps. 

“ _What_ is your _issue_?” he growled, whipping his head in my direction to glare at me maliciously.

His brown eyes took me by surprise. They reminded me of something, someone.

“W-who are you?” I stammered. “What are you doing in my bed? My apartment? How did you get here?” I continued to hold the pillow in front of me, waiting for an answer.

His eyes narrowed in confusion before he glanced down to look at his own body. It was like he had a moment of realization. His head nodded slowly and I heard him mutter to himself.

“Got too comfortable. Must've slipped while sleeping.”

“What?” I urged, shaking the pillow in his direction.

He let out a deep sigh as he propped himself up on his elbow, leveling his eyes at me.

“ _You_ brought me here. Last night,” he replied simply.

My head was shaking furiously before he was even finished speaking.

“No. No no. I brought home a _kitty_ last night. A cute little fluff of a thing. Not a man,” I corrected. Then it struck me. “Where's my kitty? Did you squish him?” I glanced around frantically, checking what I could of the bed without moving closer, leaning to my right to check the floor at the foot of my bed, the makeshift bed I made in the corner. Nothing. No black tufts of fur to be found. Hot tears welled in my eyes. “What did you do to my kitty?”

He rolled his eyes as I sniffled, shifting my weight from foot to foot. I was panicking. What if he was psycho? Some crazy serial killer?

“I _am_ your kitty,” he declared with another roll of his eyes.

I dropped the pillow to the floor. Just my luck, he really _was_ crazy. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth as the fat tears rolled down my cheeks. My eyes flashed to the closed door of my bedroom on the opposite side of where I stood. What would be my best route of escape? Dashing around the bed or plow straight through and over top of it?

“You're insane,” I whimpered as my body trembled.

“I can prove it,” he replied in an exasperated huff.

My eyes shifted back to him, lingering on his familiar brown orbs. He seemed to believe his own words, having said them with conviction. His brows were lifted, mingling with the dark hair of his bangs.

“How?” It was barely audible, _I_ could hardly hear it.

“It was raining. I was cold, scared and alone. I was in a box, crying. _You_ found me.” His intense eyes never left mine as he told his tale. “You picked me up, wrapped me in your apron and brought me home with you, _here_. You took me into the bathroom so you could wring out your clothes in the sink, rambling happily during the whole process. Then you dried me off with a towel. You were only able to feed me because of someone named Heechul. Lousy meal, by the way. Then you made me that _God_ awful bed.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder in indication of the blanket and pillow still stashed in the corner. “I refused to sleep in it so I came to the edge of the bed and demanded to sleep here. Lucky for you, you agreed and picked me up, setting me down next to you. You fell asleep shortly after.”

I tried to fight back my sobs, covering my mouth with the back of my hand as I wound my other arm across my belly to hold myself together.

“You're a stalker! You have my apartment bugged!”

I slowly slid down the wall, my knees finally giving out. I sat on the hardwood floor with my knees pulled to my chest, eyes still on the man in my bed. He rolled his eyes again and let out an exasperated breath. He seemed frustrated.

“I'll _show_ you,” he said firmly.

I watched with wide, teary eyes as he kicked the blanket away from his lean body. He brought himself to his knees, facing me and my pupils dilated as they settled between his thighs. Yep, naked. He dropped his chin to his chest and I grew confused as the world I've known my whole life was tossed out the window. It wasn't a gradual change. It was sudden, almost instantaneous. One moment, a naked man was kneeling on my bed. The next, a cute black kitten was perched in the middle of my bed, sitting on his bottom as swirls of smoke dissipated around his black form. My jaw dropped as I pulled myself across the floor, legs now under my body. I leaned forward, chin grazing the sheet of my mattress. The kitten stood to all fours and trotted to the edge to meet me. I smiled faintly as his cold, wet nose nudged mine.

“No way,” I exhaled in amazement.

In an instant, my eyes were full of very human, very male crotch.

“Way,” a gruff voice said smugly.

I jerked away, back hitting the wall as I averted my gaze, a blush heating my cheeks.

“Coulda warned me,” I mumbled, now calm yet very confused.

“Woulda had to change to warn you.”

I glanced up at him shyly as he sat on the edge of my bed, not bothered in the least by his nakedness. I turned my head further to the side and pulled my legs into my body as he sank to the floor in front of me. I flinched as he crawled closer, the heat of his body radiating outward and penetrating my chilled skin.

“What're you doing?” I whispered softly.

“You never told me your name through all your ramblings earlier.”

I snorted awkwardly. Was this really happening?

“Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine,” he mused.

“ _You_ have a name?” I asked the floor, still refusing to meet any part of his body.

“Of course I do. I wasn't always of the four-legged persuasion. Plus, it'll save you the trouble of trying to come up with one for me.”

“Leeteuk. My name's Leeteuk.”

“Leeteuk,” he mimicked, seeming to see how my name tasted on his tongue. “I'm Kyuhyun.”

I jerked my head in a nod, signaling I'd heard it.

“So … are you going to keep me, _master_? Or toss me back out onto the streets?”

“I … I-”

“It must be lonely living here alone,” he muttered.

My body stiffened as he bent his head down, nose grazing along the side of my neck.

“I'm quite loyal. I don't have a choice, it's in my nature, after all.”

“How … how is this even possible?” I asked aloud, sinking further into my corner, trying to escape his nudges.

“It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you some time. So what'll it be?”

I didn't have an answer, at least not right away. He obviously needed a place to stay. I already committed myself to this by taking him in, right? A small noise bubbled from my throat as he nuzzled further into my neck.

“Ah, do I need to give you an answer right _now_?” I stammered, gripping his biceps as he cupped my shoulders with his large hands.

“Mm, yes, master,” he breathed.

“Please don't call me that, it's weird. You asked me for my name, use it.”

“But if you keep me, you _are_ my master whether I'm in human or feline form.”

“This is all so strange,” I groaned.

“Would it help you think if I were a cat?”

“Oddly … yes.”

I yelped at the sudden weight resting in my lap. Bad idea. With him in this form, there was no way I could shun him. I massaged the top of his furry head with my fingertips and smiled as he pushed himself up on his arms to stretch into my touch.

“Alright, you can stay.”

The next instant, I was pulled away from the wall, spun around and pressed into the floor by a large hand splayed across my chest. I tried to sit up but he merely pushed me back down with more pressure.

“K-Kyuhyun?” I glanced up at him worriedly as I circled a hand around the wrist holding me down. “What are you doing?”

“You agreed to take me in, to be my master, _owner._ Well … if you're gonna be my master, you have to take me, make me yours, mark me as your own.”

 

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	3. Claim What's Yours

“ _You agreed to take me in, to be my master,_ _ **owner**_ _. Well … if you're gonna be my master, you have to take me, make me yours, mark me as your own.”_

 

My eyes widened in fear as I watched the emotion in his eyes shift.

“M-mark? I'll get you a collar when I go shopping.”

His body shifted against mine suggestively and I gasped in surprise.

“I'm supposed to be submissive to you. You're supposed to take control. It's part of you being my owner. Sex, Leeteuk, sex!”

I caught on to the fact that he was annoyed that he had to explain this when apparently I was supposed to have figured it out on my own. I gulped down the huge lump in my throat.

“Are you sure I can't just buy you a collar? That shows ownership,” I replied hopefully, trying to change the topic.

“What is your _issue_? Just take me! My previous owner had no problems with marking me as his.”

I started, flinching at his words, hurt by them for some reason.

“You … you already have an owner?” I whispered, my grip on his wrist slackening as I searched his darkened eyes for the answer.

“ _Had_. Previous. Past tense. Not currently. Something I'm trying to change at the moment,” he finished with a growl, flexing his hand so his claws dug into my skin.

I winced.

“Why do you need an owner? You don't seem like the submissive type. Can't you just stay here without a label of ownership?”

“I'll tell you all about my tragic little curse _after_ you fuck me and make me your pet,” he hissed.

“You have a filthy mouth.”

“You have no idea.”

Blood rushed to my cheeks as I squirmed uncomfortably at his words. This was all happening so fast. This was all so … _unreal_. Maybe I was still sleeping, dreaming. Yeah. That made sense. I had worked a double earlier and was exhausted. Even if this was a dream … I had to be true to who I was.

“Do you not find me attractive?” he mused as he leaned down closer, as if allowing me a better look. His tone proved he couldn't believe that _anyone_ would find him unattractive.

He really was beautiful. Strong jaw, smooth skin, dark hair, expressive eyes and full lips. I slowly lifted my free hand to his face. Brushing bangs out of his eyes, running my fingertips down the side of his face. His hot breath from his parted lips washed over my face. My fingers moved inward, grazing lightly along his bottom lip.

“You're gorgeous,” I whispered.

I watched as one side of his mouth tugged into a smirk. “Then what's the problem?”

I didn't want to give voice to the problem. Didn't want to admit to him that I wasn't the master he was looking for, that he apparently needed me to be. I glanced up at him with pleading eyes, begging him to not make me say it. I watched as it dawned on him. His face morphed from one of seriousness to cocky amusement.

“Why, _Leeteuk_. Could it be you're a _bottom_?”

I turned my burning face away in embarrassment, nibbling on my lip as I pressed my cheek to the floor. Hadn't it been obvious from the beginning?

“Then I'm just gonna have to do all the work for our first time,” he purred huskily.

My head snapped back to front and center.

“ _First_ time? Meaning there will be _more_?”

“Hopefully,” he grinned. “You only need to top the first time. I'm _more_ than willing to continue our relationship in ways more … suited to your needs, _master_.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Kyuhyun had had enough of our conversation. He took advantage and sealed his mouth over my own. I moaned into his mouth and melted into the floor. He removed his hand from my chest, no longer needing to keep me in place when his skillful lips and tongue were doing the job. I slid my arms around his neck and pulled him down against me, closer, as I kissed him back. I nudged his warm tongue with my own as he got into a more comfortable position, stretching out his legs to lie flush against my body. I groaned as his chest pressed into mine. He was so _warm._

His sharp teeth latched onto my bottom lip and pulled, nibbling on it as I whimpered. He released it and tipped my head back with a nudge of his thumb. He attacked my jaw, neck and throat with tongue and teeth as he slid a hand between us to palm firmly at my clothed erection. I arched into his touches, back bowing away from the floor. He slid down my body, dragging his tongue along the contours of bone and muscle to nip and lap at a nipple.

“Kyu!” I cried out once his teeth closed around it. I was quickly learning that he really liked to bite.

“Mm … I could get used to hearing that.”

I felt his lips brush against the hardened nub as he spoke, his warm breath sending shivers coursing through my body. He moved further down, swiftly ridding my lower half of my pajama pants and settling between my spread thighs. My hard member curved along my belly and I waited anxiously for him to continue. I gripped his shoulders harshly as his breath moistened my sensitive areas. I felt myself twitch and throb.

“K-Kyu, please.”

Apparently he had been waiting for me to beg, to say those magic words. His long, slender fingers wound around my cock as he ran the flat of his tongue along the prominent vein on its underside.

“Ahh,” I moaned loudly.

He swirled his tongue around my swollen head and dipped it into the slit to taste my precum. I squirmed on the floor, gasping and keening at every lick and scrape of his teeth, crying louder when he finally engulfed all of me to suck harshly with sharp pulls of his hot mouth. I was naturally very sensitive but it had also been a long while since I had been intimate with someone. Plus Kyuhyun just plain knew what he was doing with that devilish mouth of his. I spread my fingers through the locks of his dark hair when I felt myself bump against the back of his throat. I had been right in my assumption, it was soft to the touch.

“Mm!”

Kyuhyun growled low in his throat, almost sounding like a purr but either way sending vibrations through my already highly sensitized member. I curled my toes and wiggled beneath him. I let out a gasp when he pulled off of me with a lewd pop.

“Ideally, the bed would be more comfortable, but I really can't wait. You'll come to find I'm lacking in patience.”

I peeked up through hooded eyes as he straddled my lap. He made a show of licking two of his fingers. Pink tongue darting out of his mouth and running up and down the long digits as he stroked his girth slowly. I watched in a daze as he drew them into his mouth to coat them in saliva quickly before pulling them back out. His lips glistened as he reached behind his body. I could tell when they were both swallowed up by his entrance, his brows pulled down in a slight frown as his jaw slackened.

“Kyuhyun, I've never-”

“Don't worry,” he said as he grabbed my cock to line it up with his body. “I have. I'll do all the work.”

The muscles in his jaw tightened as he began to lower himself down onto me. I tried to stay as still as possible but he shoved himself down in one swift motion, nullifying my efforts. My mouth fell open at the feel of his searing heat surrounding me. His walls twitched and pulsed around me, clenching tighter every now and again. He slowly rocked against me. I was pretty sure it was for my benefit and not his own. He already appeared used to my intrusion while I had never experienced this before. Topping had never interested me. I preferred to be the submissive one.

I didn't know what to do with my hands and it hadn't gone unnoticed by Kyuhyun. He grabbed my wrists securely and guided my hands to the tops of his thighs. I gripped them gently as he lifted himself up from my body only to slam himself back down.

“Ah!”

He didn't stop there, bouncing back up and crashing down, hot passage tugging at and swallowing my cock. My nails dug into his skin and I grew more aroused at the grunts and gasps escaping his throat. Fire swept through my veins when I heard my name tumble from his lips. He fisted himself erratically as he impaled himself on my length over and over again. I felt guilty that he was doing _all_ the work. I pushed his hands away from his leaking erection, replacing it with my own. I squeezed the hardened muscle, sweeping my thumb across the head before continuing his fast pace. He groaned, tossing his head back and grinding his hips down into my lap. He clasped his hands over mine on his thighs, picking up the pace of his bucking hips.

“Leeteuk,” he whimpered, almost ripping my orgasm from my body with his sensuous tone wrapped around my name.

I knew he was close, warning me. I could tell by the way his hot, lithe body gripped me. I don't know what came over me, but I lifted my hips from the floor and snapped them upward to meet his thrusts.

“Ah!”

For once, the sound didn't come from me. He crashed down around me one last time. He bared his teeth, lowered his chin as his body tensed and spilled his warm seed over my hand as his passage clenched around me almost painfully. I burst, emptying myself into him with a cry of his name. His body milked me dry, coaxing out every last drop I had to offer with each pulse of his inner walls. My body seized as his thighs trembled.

He bent down to nip at my lips, light dancing in his eyes.

“Mm … not bad, _master_.”

 “I told you not to call me that,” I pouted, breathing heavily. “It sounds condescending coming from you, anyway.”

 “Fine, then,” his pink tongue darted out past his lips to flick against the tip of my nose. “Leeteuk.”

 

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	4. Dreams and Shopping

I rolled over and stretched languidly, wincing when I felt bones pop and my aching muscles twang with soreness. It felt like I had been a triathlete during my sleep and was paying for it now. My _actual_ dream came back to me in the form of graphic pictures in my mind complete with explicit soundtrack. I opened my eyes to find my new kitten sitting on the edge of the bed patiently, tip of his black tail twitching absently.

“Morning, cutie face. How long have you been up? You wouldn't believe the dream I had last night. I must've been really exhausted. Though I thought of a name for you!” I could take credit for the name because it had been _my_ dream. “What do you think of 'Kyuhyun'? It was in my dream. I like it. I think it suits you.”

Did he just nod? No, I imagined it. He just dipped his head down to lick at his paw lazily. Maybe I didn't get enough sleep. Too late now, I was up. I forced myself out of bed and got dressed in a pair of washed out jeans and a white hoodie. I padded into the kitchen to make breakfast, little Kyu following at my heels. I switched out his water for some fresh milk instead, feeding him pieces of my bacon as he begged at my feet.

“Wanna come shopping with me? I don't wanna leave you here alone just yet and we have a lot to get for you.” 

I quirked a brow down at him as he curled his tail around his front paws.

“Let's make a list,” I suggested, standing from the table to search my drawers for a pad of paper and a pen. I listed items out loud as I wrote them down. “Litter box … kitty litter … scooper … toys, of course … cuter food and water dishes … food ... treats … oh! A brush … you don't need a bed.” I paused, tapping the pen against my lips. I glanced down at Kyu for his suggestions. “What am I missing?”

He cocked his head to the side as he stared up at me.

“Oh! A collar.”

I scribbled it down on the paper under the other items.

“I guess if we missed anything we will see it there.”

I ripped the piece of paper from the metal spirals and folded it up to shove it into the front pocket of my jeans. I shuffled into the bathroom to collect my wallet and keys then headed to the front door to pull on my shoes.

“Come on, Kyu! Let's go spend money!” I called over my shoulder.

And spend we did. We went down every aisle, tried out every toy that we could just to make sure Kyu liked them before we purchased them, talked to an employee to figure out which food was best fitted for Kyu's needs and tried on multiple collars before settling on a plain white one.

“It may be plain and boring,” I had told him as I tickled his cheeks, “but it's my favorite color.”

We must've spent over two hours in the store goofing off. The employees didn't mind at all. They watched us and laughed as we shopped to our hearts content. The return journey home wasn't as fun as the stroll _to_ the pet supply store. Kyu had to walk alongside me because my arms were already full of all the things we had bought. I watched as Kyu hopped up the stairs cutely, one by one, little hind legs scampering for purchase as his lower half hung off the step. I giggled each time it happened thinking myself so lucky for finding him last night. Now I would have a friend instead of living in my apartment alone. It was someone to talk to at least, another being to share my space with.

I trapped the box of goods between my body and the door as I unlocked it. Kyu darted in ahead of me and I let out a chuckle. I kicked the door shut behind me and locked it, sliding off my shoes. I set the items down on the kitchen table and let out an accomplished sigh. I didn't see where Kyu had run off to but figured he was exploring the rest of his new home since he didn't get the chance last night. _I_ needed a shower. My muscles still ached and hot water was _just_ the thing I needed to relax the pain away. Not to mention I needed to wash away the sweat from last night. That dream was _so_ realistic. I nodded to myself as I made my way to the bathroom, deciding to set up all of Kyu's stuff afterward.

I had left the door of the bathroom open in case Kyu needed to come see where I was. Letting out a deep sigh, I leaned my forehead against the cold tile of the wall, allowing the scalding water to hit my back directly. Billowing clouds of steam filled the bathroom as the water soothed my aching back.

“Mwrowr.”

I rubbed the water from my face and turned my head to the left to look through the frosted swirls of the fogged glass door to see a distorted black ball sitting on the bath mat. Another cry left his mouth and I tapped the door with my fingernail gently to let him know I knew he was there and to assure him I was here as well.

“I hear you, KyuKyu. I'll hurry up so we can play,” I assured him, pushing my dripping bangs back from my face.

He came closer, perching on his hind legs to claw at the glass door, crying even louder than when he had wanted into bed with me the night before.

“I know, Kyu! But cats don't like water.” I paused for a second in shampooing my hair, water beating down on my chest and neck. “At least, most don't. Am I stereotyping? You seemed to do fine last night in the rain-”

“I like water just fine,” a deep voice purred from behind me.

I let out a very unmanly, high pitched squeal as I whipped around and clambered against the slippery wall, almost falling in the process. I winced as soap slid into my eyes, burning and causing tears to form.

“It played a big role in bringing you to me last night.”

“It wasn't a dream!” I pointed a shaking finger in his direction as I took a step under the spray of water to rinse my eyes and hair quickly, scrubbing the shampoo away fiercely. “You're real!”

“I should hope so,” he smirked, leaning forward to trap me between his arms as he placed his palms on the wall behind me. “So tell me about this apparent dream of yours.”

My face flushed and I averted my gaze, knowing full well it wasn't a dream now and that my body ached for more intimate reasons. He chuckled at my embarrassment before continuing to tease me

“So you like my name, huh? And you think I'm beautiful.”

He craned his neck, trying to lock his eyes with mine.

“E-explain yourself,” I muttered, trying to put as much force behind my words as possible while covering myself with my hands. “Explain everything.”

“You're wasting water. Shower with me first.”

I floundered, not having a reason why we shouldn't continue showering. I stiffened when his hands curved over my shoulders and squeezed gently.

“I still make you nervous even after last night?” he cooed.

He slid a knuckle under my chin, lifting my head so my eyes met his brown orbs. His dark hair hung in his eyes, heavy with water. Droplets ran down his face, slid down his jaw and made his lips glisten invitingly. He held an amused expression on his face as he stared down at me.

“You … you caught me off guard. I thought it was all a dream. Why were you a cat when I woke up?”

He tugged me to his chest before answering, gliding his hands down my back, working out some of the knots as I rested my cheek against his scarred chest. I chewed my lip to keep back a moan.

“I figured it would be easier for you to wake up to a cat rather than a naked man. I was waiting for the right time to switch back.”

His voice rumbled through his chest beneath my ear. I frowned at his reasoning.

“You don't think it woulda been a good time to turn human before we went _shopping_?”

His hands stopped on the small of my back.

“Good point, you should probably return all of it.”

It was a good thing I hadn't opened any of it and had kept the receipt. I would return it tomorrow before my closing shift at the cafe.

“How come _eep!_ ”

Strong hands had grabbed hold of my buttocks firmly, effectively causing my words to escape me.

“Leeteuk?” he whispered huskily, backing me slowly into the wall, hands moving up to grasp my waist as the shower spray flattened his hair.

“Yes?”

“Could you do me a favor?”

I peeked up at him curiously, wondering what in the world I could possibly do for him. Quirking a brow at him, I urged him to proceed. His face was all business, seeming to struggle with the words. I placed my hands on his forearms to help assure him that whatever it was he had to ask of me, it was okay. I watched as the droplets dripped from his bangs, his chin, down his scarred his chest, dipping into his navel. I forced my eyes back to his face before they could get me into trouble.

“What is it?”

“Say my name.”

It wasn't a question, not a request. For some reason, my body thrilled excitedly at the sound of him ordering me around with his deep voice.

“Kyu?”

He shook his head with a stubborn frown.

“K-Kyuhyun.”

A triumphant smirk broke his face.

“What was that for?”

“It's amusing to have an owner that does as I say. I could really enjoy staying with you.”

I pushed at his chest in a huff but he gathered me up in his strong arms to keep me trapped.

“Yah! Let go. I'm cold,” I harrumphed.

“Well then.”

He took a step backward, guiding me back under the hot spray of the water. I squirmed in his hold, wanting to continue my shower and stop wasting more water than we already had. He finally released me, finding something to distract his attention, to entertain himself with: _me_. Collecting the bar of soap and wash cloth, he began to lather my body up. I blinked in surprise as he doted on me, making sure to not miss a single patch of skin. I gasped as his hand rubbed between my thighs, stirring something in the pit of my stomach. He pulled it away soon after, not allowing things to go further than a simple yet delightful touch. After he was through, I tried to take the items away from his soapy hands to return the favor, but he alluded me, setting them aside to rub his hands along my figure, wiping the suds away.

“Kyuhyun,” I whined as the bubbles were rinsed away.

“Ah ah,” he tutted with a click of his tongue. “No time. We have a lot to discuss. Let's get you dried off. The sooner we get this started, the sooner it's done and over with.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 


	5. Questions and Labels

Kyuhyun switched the shower off and helped me exit the stall. We dried ourselves off quickly before he tugged me into the bedroom. He gestured for me to get into bed. I gave him a quizzical look before slipping under the covers, using them to hide my naked body. He seemed amused by my shyness.

“Why don't we start by answering the questions you have?”

“So you don't share more than you would like?” I pressed.

Seemed I had found him out. Hopefully, I held all the right questions to get most of the truth out of him, to reveal the bigger picture here.

“Could you maybe get in here with me?” I asked as I lifted the blanket for him.

He raised a brow, “Is my body distracting you?”

“Yes,” I replied quickly.

No use denying it. I think he was taken aback by my honesty because he merely blinked before sliding in next to me. I had so many questions swimming around in my head, I didn't know where to begin. We sat in silence as I tried to rank them in order of importance. First things first.

“How did this happen?”

Kyuhyun settled back into his pillow before beginning story time. I rolled onto my stomach, hugging my own pillow to my chest as I waited for him to to start.

“Let me start by saying, this is weird for me, too. I don't know all the rules. I'm just trying to survive. It happened maybe a year ago. I'm not exactly sure of how long it's been. There was a time in there when I couldn't keep track of days.”

His voice cracked in the middle of his last sentence, almost as if he didn't mean to utter the words. I held my breath, watching his expressionless face as he tried to sort out the details.

“It was night when it happened and I was walking home from a friend's place. I don't remember it all, exactly, but I gather I got hit by a car. I remember pain. Lots of _excruciating_ pain.”

“Is that where you got your scars?” I asked softly, not wanting to interrupt but figuring it was the best place to jump in and ask about the white marks.

“Some of them,” he replied after a long pause.

I could tell he was hiding something and didn't press him for more information on the matter. I should respect the fact that he would share only the things he was ready to. Yet the fact that he was speaking cryptically didn't go unnoticed by me. I filed away the fishy sounding answers to think about later.

“I heard someone's voice as I lay crumpled on the cold concrete. They told me I was dying, no doubt about it, but that they could prevent it and give me my life back. I agreed without question, not needing to hear anything else that he had to say, figuring I had nothing to lose if he was somehow capable of such a feat. Little did I know, he didn't mean to give me back my human life, at least not fully. I was a cat after agreeing to his trick, all pain gone with only scars to prove the accident had ever happened.”

“But you're human now,” I pointed out.

“I can only change when taken in by a potential owner and change at will once claimed by said owner,” he explained. “I found that out later. Though I've only had two instances to explore the theory.”

“How do you break this curse, as you call it?”

“And what would _you_ call it?” he turned to face me incredulously.

I shrugged, “You're alive. That's something, right?”

“Oh yeah, this is just peachy, having to be someone's _pet_ to live the rest of my life. I wish I would've read the fine print,” he snipped, biting off each word with a snap of his white teeth.

I flinched at his words, trying to ignore their harsh sting. His face softened at my reaction, but he didn't make a move to apologize in any way.

“I don't know how to break it. My _savior_ , who got me into this mess, just told me to make sure I got an owner as soon as possible. He told me to find one and stay with him for as long as I could, hopefully it would just work itself out. I didn't get my hopes up. I've already come to grips with the fact that I may be part cat for the rest of my days.”

I dropped my gaze to the pillow clutched to my chest. I couldn't get his previous words out of my head and I couldn't keep myself from voicing my thoughts.

“Do you … do you wish I hadn't found you last night?” I mumbled quietly.

His shoulders slumped as he glanced down at me.

“I didn't mean it like that. It's nothing against you. Of course I don't, I need an owner, after all. I'm sure you'll be a great master. It just blows not being able to be on my own, live my own life.”

I nodded, not that I understood what he was going through, but accepting his makeshift apology.

“Couldn't I set you free? Be a long distance owner so you can go out on your own while remaining human?”

He was shaking his head before I'd even finished.

“Why not?”

“I can't provide for myself, not legitimately anyway. Technically, I _died_ in that accident. I turned feline, remember? No body to be found, but obvious blood at the scene. I can't get a real job. They'll get a death certificate when they do a background or credit check.”

“How can that be? What about your family?”

“They think I'm dead,” he replied simply, as if it were no big deal. “I watched my parents cry at my funeral, closed casket, of course, there was no body to display.”

My eyes and mouth were wide open in shock. It was all so sad, to lose everyone you have ever known at such a young age within a matter of moments. Part of me was glad he had to stay, that I was all he had currently. Another part of me wished he was staying out of free will and want, not because he had to.

“How old are you?” I whispered.

“Twenty-one, I think. Yeah, twenty-one.” He rubbed his chin with his thumb thoughtfully, doing the math in his head.

I balked. He was _younger_ than me? Why did I get the feeling he was older than me? His exuding confidence? Cockiness? Smug authority? Misunderstood, bad boy demeanor? Because he had gone through so much more than I had?

“Why do you seem so surprised?” he smirked.

“You're younger than me,” I breathed, waving a hand in his direction.

His eyes twinkled jovially.

“By how much?”

“Two years.”

“Want me to call you _hyung_?” he asked seductively, lifting his brows suggestively as his smirk turned into a wicked grin.

My heart skipped and heat rushed to my cheeks. How could he take _anything_ and make it sound dirty?

“N-no. Unless you want to. Leeteuk is fine.”

He grinned evilly but I ignored it, having more questions that needed answering.

“Why do you change into a cat if you can be human?” I asked, thinking of how I had woken up to a furry feline instead of a naked man.

“Sometimes it's easier being a cat. Napping is more comfortable, usually, though maybe not anymore now that I have a bed. I can always hide from you more easily if I don't want to talk,” he winked playfully at the suggestion. “Sometimes it's easier to move around.”

He shrugged in completion of his sloppy explanation. I guess there were lots of reasons to turn into a cat. A neat trick to have up your sleeve.

“Just make sure you're human when you decide to use the bathroom.”

He snorted at my words, shaking the bed slightly.

“What happened with your previous owner?”

Everything changed in an instant. His body stiffened, he wiped his palms against the blankets as if getting rid of sweat and his eyes grew wide and vacant.

“He died,” he mumbled.

There it was again. Cryptic words. Not telling me the whole story. Maybe it had been traumatic for him, maybe he was there when it had happened. Either way, I could tell he was affected just by recalling the memories from his past.

“Kyuhyun, if we're gonna live together, now bound together until I kick you out or you run away, you have to be honest with me.”

Some part of my little speech grabbed his attention. He turned onto his side, sidling closer to me. I swallowed nervously as he dipped a hand under the covers, seeking out my hip to grasp it and pull me flush against the length of his body.

“Would you _really_ kick me out?” he asked in a dark tone.

I opened my mouth to answer but all that issued forth was a jumbled mess as he ran his tongue over the pulse point of my shoulder.

“Ah!” I cried out when his teeth clamped down around my flesh non too gently.

I wiggled uncomfortably as the pain shot up the side of my neck to my ear and down my arm as he added more pressure. Batting at his back to get him to stop, I whimpered pitifully as I gasped in pain.

“No, no no no, I won't kick you out!” I promised.

Kyuhyun released his hold but didn't pull away completely. He tried to soothe away the throbbing with firm laps of his tongue. I moaned weakly.

“That's what I thought,” he muttered cheekily.

“I didn't need to be bullied into it,” I protested. “I already told you I'd keep you.”

“Not as fun.”

I rolled my eyes as he finally leaned back to stare down at me.

“Any more questions?” he inquired in a bored tone with a sigh.

“Um, just one,” I started nervously.

“You have my attention.”

And yet, I really didn't. His hand had traveled from my hip to caress my inner thigh, wedging itself between my legs. Was he trying to distract me from this conversation on purpose? Definitely. I probably should've put on clothes before allowing him to convince me to get into bed. My legs fell open of their own accord. I had no control of their movement. He bent down to my neck once more, nipping at the column of my throat with his plump lips and sharp teeth.

“Kyuhyun!” I gasped once his mischievous hand grabbed hold of me.

“I thought you had a question,” he teased, not stopping in his ministrations.

“I _do_ but I'm beginning to think you don't really care whether or not you hear it.”

He shrugged, dragging his hot tongue up the side of my neck before nibbling on my earlobe.

“There are other things that would prove more enjoyable than talking.”

I shoved my hand beneath the blankets and clasped my fingers around his wrist, gripping it tightly as I pushed at his chest with my other hand. He stopped immediately when he saw I was serious, much to my surprise. For some reason, I didn't see him as one to stop. Then again, I hardly knew him and had a lot to learn.

“Alright,” he supplied gently. “What's your question?”

Now that I really _did_ have his undivided attention, I was nervous to ask.

“Come on, how bad can it be?” he pried.

“What does this situation make us?”

I began fidgeting as soon as the words left my mouth, picking the invisible lint off of the corner of my pillow. He replied without thinking it over.

“You're my owner, my master. I'm your … pet for lack of a better word,” he said with some mild confusion but still in a tone that said this was all so obvious.

“No offense, Kyuhyun, but I don't exactly see you as my cute little kitten when you're like this,” I said lightly as I gestured at his human body.

“You don't think I'm cute?” he feigned hurt.

“I don't see you as my _kitten_ when you're like this,” I corrected with a roll of my eyes. “Especially when we're … doing things. And you've hinted that those things will be continuing.”

“You mean … are we dating? Boyfriends?” he offered slowly, tiptoeing cautiously around the words.

I nodded at his question, holding my breath as I waited anxiously for his retort.

“Do you need to label this?”

His tone was light, like he was really interested in how I would choose to go about this situation.

“I'm a labeler,” I admitted shyly, sinking my head down between my hunched shoulders.

“Technically, I can't sleep with anyone but my master. And I _am_ going to be living here,” Kyuhyun ticked these off with a smirk on his face.

“Seems exclusive,” I replied hopefully.

“Let's just see where things take us,” Kyuhyun suggested. “No need to rush.”

It wasn't the answer I had been hoping for and I feared my face was advertising my true feelings on the matter. _No need to rush?_ What was last night? A desperate attempt of getting an owner? It wasn't that I was needy or clingy. I just had a problem being intimate with a guy if we weren't dating. At least dating, he didn't need to be my boyfriend. Exclusive dating. It felt weird to me otherwise, I never knew why exactly. If Kyuhyun wanted … _that_ … from me, I was pretty sure some sort of label would need to be established. A label other than 'pet' and 'master'. Yes, I realize we had slept together last night, but it was all so fast and everything was very confusing. I thought it was a dream when I had woken up for goodness sake! This situation made me uneasy. Sure, we could play things out, but I knew what the final score would be if we continued like this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	6. Trust

It wasn't hard to change the topic of our dwindling conversation. Since Kyuhyun was going to spend most of his time as a human now, he would need some human supplies of his own. I suggested we return the kitty things so we had more money to buy him clothes and toiletries, not to mention my apartment would need more food now that I had a second mouth to feed.

“When was the last time you walked around in public by yourself as a human?” I inquired as I stood in front of my open closet to get dressed.

“I haven't since the turn,” he replied from his spot watching me from the bed.

I glanced over at him after pulling my shirt down over my head. I worried the bottom of my lip as I sorted out my thoughts.

“Will you run away?”

“What?” he asked, leaning forward and turning his head to the side so he could hear me better.

“Earlier, you asked if I would really kick you out. I'm asking if you'd run away given the chance.”

He leveled his eyes, sizing me up.

“If I run away from you, no more human for me,” he explained evenly. “Simple as that.”

“Not good enough,” I shook my head. “You bit me to make me promise to not kick you out.” I could still feel the dull throb from the teeth marks.

“Do you wanna bite me?” he teased.

“That's not what I meant.”

“I'm not going to run away. You have my word. Besides, I enjoy teasing you too much, how could I possibly leave? Why do you ask?”

I examined my fingertips at waist level, picking at the imaginary dirt while shifting my weight from foot to foot.

“Leeteuk.”

He drew out my name as if scolding a child, a slight warning edge to his tone. I peeked up at him through my lashes.

“I was thinking. I could go return the kitty stuff by myself. Then I could give you some money and you could go shopping for clothes and things by yourself. Take your time, no rush, just come back in time for us to go grocery shopping before it gets too late. I don't know what kinds of food you like.”

“You mean it?”

I could tell he could barely contain his excitement. He pulled himself away from the pillows into a sitting position, eyes growing in the slightest.

“Yeah. I figure you might want some alone time,” I shrugged, fiddling with the hem of my white shirt.

“Leeteuk, I think we're going to get along _just fine_ ,” he grinned.

I smiled back at him, happy with myself for coming up with such a great idea that pleased him. Kyuhyun followed me out of the room after pulling on some of my clothes. They didn't fit, but they only needed to serve him for a few hours. The dark blue t-shirt was a little tight through the chest but only made him look edgier. The jeans, on the other hand, were a bit short. At least he would be prepared if there was a flash flood. I surveyed all the goods we had bought at the pet supply store.

“Do I really have to return _all_ of it?” I asked him, drumming my fingertips along the sides of the cardboard box.

“What could you possibly want to keep? _I_ don't need any of it.”

“How about the brush?”

“I can buy a nice, regular _human_ brush,” he explained slowly, enunciating each and every syllable.

“But what if you happen to be a kitty and want to be brushed?”

“If that _ever_ happens, do one of two things: use my new human brush or your fingers,” he shrugged, though made it sound like it would never happen. An ice cube's chance in hell, really.

“Fine, no brush,” I mumbled.

“Why are _you_ so sad?”

“Well, you know, I was under the impression I was bringing home a _cat_ last night. A fluffy little ball of a thing that I could play with.”

“Whatever, keep the brush.”

I wasn't going to. If he was okay with using his human brush for grooming, I would get a few dollars back by returning this one. Every cent counted nowadays.

“What about the toys? Kitties need exercise and you seemed to enjoy them while we were testing them out in the store,” I smiled, thinking back to what goofballs we had been in the aisles.

“You want to help me exercise? We go to the bedroom to work up a sweat, get the blood pumping,” he said as he placed his palms on the table to lean forward.

“Kyuhyun.”

“What? Fine, keep the toys, too. And the collar, just in case I'm feline and you need to prove ownership.”

I pulled the items we agreed on out of the box and placed them on the table. I made sure I had the receipt before glancing up at him.

“Don't trash the place while I'm gone.”

He didn't respond as I picked up the box and slipped on my shoes. I walked out the door and shut it behind me, not bothering to lock it since Kyuhyun was on the other side. I walked down the hall and towards the stairwell, bumping into my neighbor, Siwon, on my journey down.

“Hey, Leeteuk! What's with the box? You moving?” he greeted cheerily as he paused on a step to sift through his mail.

I stopped on the stair above him.

“No. Just have to return some things,” I smiled down at him.

He lifted his eyes curiously to my arms, thick expressive brows raised as he checked out what I was carrying.

“You get a cat?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I replied after a slight pause, nodding my head in affirmation as I gripped the underside of the box nervously.

“Ah! I thought I heard weird noises last night!” he beamed happily.

I balked and my face flushed. We exchanged a few more pleasantries, how he wanted me to bring over the little guy so he could meet the little fella, how Shindong, our landlord would also love to meet him since he was a big animal lover. After agreeing to all of his suggestions, I excused myself to head to the pet supply store so I could hurry back.

There was no problem with returning my purchases. The sales lady was really nice and friendly, seeming to genuinely enjoy her job. Customer service definitely appeared to be her calling in life. I gave her a small wave as I walked through the automatic sliding doors. On the stroll back to the apartment, I paused in the middle of the sidewalk when a small establishment caught my eye. I turned to face it as pedestrians walked around me. A key hut. I should get a key made for Kyuhyun, right? He had the right to come and go as he pleased.

I entered the apartment and glanced around looking for Kyuhyun, spare key safe in the front pocket of my jeans. He wasn't anywhere to be seen. I scanned the kitchen and the living room as I pulled off my shoes.

“Kyuhyun?” I called out, panic slowly starting to creep up my spine.

I strained my ears to hear any movement that might be occurring deeper in the apartment. Nothing. My palms began to sweat and my heart began to race, thumping uncomfortably against my ribs as my head began to swoon. Did he leave? Just like that? Did he run away after telling me he wouldn't? After giving me his word? No note, no nothing. My shoulders sagged as I set my keys and wallet on the kitchen table before heading down the hall. A faint clicking noise drifted to my ears as soon as I stepped foot in the hall. It was coming from the spare bedroom I used as an office. I padded to the doorway and peeked around the wall to see what was going on inside.

“Kyuhyun!” I stomped my foot in agitation.

“Not now, I'm winning,” he mumbled.

He was sitting at my wooden desk in front of my laptop playing some game I was positive I had never downloaded. I sidled further into the room to stand behind him, glancing curiously over his shoulder, intrigued by all the commotion scrambling across the screen.

“How did you figure out my password?”

He snorted as his slender fingers flew over the keys, hitting a pattern only he knew and understood.

“It was hardly a difficult code to crack. Do you realize how much _white_ is in this apartment? How do you _possibly_ keep it all _clean_? You should add some splashes of color here and there. Live a little.”

“I called for you when I got back, how come you didn't answer?”

“Busy. You thought I left, didn't you?”

I could hear the smug smirk in his voice and pulled away from my position of leaning on the back of the chair.

“Why would I leave?” he continued, never taking his gaze from the computer screen. “Someone have abandonment issues?”

I flinched from his words much like I would have if he had slapped me across the face. Same effect. Same sting. I retreated from the room quietly, leaving him to his game. Walking back down the hall, I entered the bathroom to pick up my clothes from last night. I scooped them up into my arms to put them in the hamper in my bedroom. I knew he was just being snarky, that he couldn't know that his words had been deadly accurate. I lost myself in my thoughts as I carried on with my nervous tidying, finding any mundane chore I could think of to keep my hands busy. I was so preoccupied with making the bed that I hadn't even noticed Kyuhyun leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest.

“Leeteuk,” he barked, leading me to believe it hadn't been the first time he tried to get my attention.

“What? You ready to go shopping?” I asked as I smoothed down the last corner of the comforter and grabbed my white hamper, planning on starting a load of laundry.

“In a minute,” he brushed off. “What's eating at you?”

“Nothing, why?”

“You snuck out of the other room. You've had a vacant, faraway look on your face since I've been standing here,” he explained with narrowed eyes.

“Oh. Just thinking. About all this,” I lied quickly with a fake smile plastered across my face. “I'm going to have to pick up more shifts at the cafe now that I have two mouths to feed, maybe even try to find a second job.”

“While that may be true, it's not what you were thinking about.”

I stood in front of him, resting the plastic bottom of the hamper on the top of my foot.

“Could you move? I'm trying to do laundry here.”

“Tell me what was on your mind,” he demanded.

“What does it matter?”

“Call me curious.”

“Yeah, well, curiosity killed the cat.”

He closed his eyes, mentally counting to ten, or so I assumed.

“Just couldn't resist that one, could you?” he breathed, eyes still shut.

“No, now move.”

He stood his ground, not moving an inch yet seeming to fill up more of the space of the doorway with his lean frame. He opened his eyes to freeze me with his piercing stare.

“Isn't there some rule that states you have to do as your master commands?” I asked in a frustrated tone.

“Not when said master is so _submissive_ ,” he jibed back.

I glared up at him, narrowing my eyes while releasing a breath through my lips, cheeks puffing out with excess air. Taking a step closer, I nudged him with my hamper full of clothes. He still didn't budge, but it's not what I had been going for. I just wanted to push him, let him know I was there.

“If you don't move ... this ... instant, _kitty_ , you can kiss your solo field trip goodbye,” I smiled overly sweetly.

He pushed himself away from the edge of the door, standing straight and dropping his arms to his sides slowly.

“You … wouldn't … _dare_ ,” he challenged, eyes flashing dangerously.

“Oh I would. I think you'd make a great indoor cat. Only tasting fresh air from the balcony or open window. How's that sound?”

The muscles in his jaw flexed as he weighed my words. I grinned triumphantly as he stepped to the side, complete with sweeping arm to tell me the path was clear for me. I celebrated too early, for he followed closely behind me, practically on my heels as I made my way to the utility room next to the bathroom that housed my washer and dryer.

“What were you thinking?”

“Keep prying, kitty,” I singsonged in warning as I tossed articles of clothing into the empty drum of the washer.

“Oh come on, Leeteuk. If we're gonna live together, bound and brought together by this curse, you have to be honest with me,” he mocked, throwing a paraphrased version of my own words back in my face.

Letting go of the lid of the washer, I allowed it to slam closed.

“Oh, _really_?” I whirled around to face him, leaning back against the white washer with my palms braced on the edge once I realized how close he was standing to me. “You weren't completely honest about how you got your scars. Don't _even_ get me started on the reaction you had to me asking about your previous owner, a valid question on my part. We both have secrets we obviously don't want to discuss. We both have a past. Let's just leave it at that until we actually trust each other, shall we? No offense, but I'm not exactly interested in sharing my deepest darkest secrets with a complete stranger.”

Maybe not complete in the _anatomical_ sense, but I digress. He took a step closer, diminishing what little space left there was between us, eyes darkening further. I pressed my body into the washer, trying to escape the radiating heat of his body looming over mine. The small utility room felt even tinier with him sharing the cramped space with me.

“Let me make something clear to you, right here, right now. _I'm_ not going _any_ where. _You_ are _stuck_ with me. You better get to trusting _real_ fast because, like it or not, _you're_ all _I_ have.”

I dropped my gaze to the side as I chewed on my lower lip. I wasn't going to bare my heart and soul just because of his speech, no matter how touching and heartfelt it may have been. Still, I didn't know what to say in reply. I shoved my hand into the pocket of my jeans, fishing out the spare key I had made. I held it up for him to take, still averting my eyes.

“Step one of this trust exchange. Yours. My wallet's on the kitchen table, money inside. Don't take all of it. We still need to go grocery shopping.”

His warm hand lingered over mine before taking the small piece of brass, fingertips brushing over my knuckles.

“Thanks,” he whispered, sounding almost awestruck.

I shrugged, turning around to set the dials of the washer to get my clothes washing. A low hum filled the room as the washer kicked into gear and the cycle began.

“Just because you can't work doesn't mean you can't go out and enjoy the world. I'll figure out some sort of allowance or something later. Just buy what we discussed for now. I'll talk to my boss tomorrow about extra shifts, maybe even a raise.”

Warmth spread across the expanse of my back as he pressed up behind me. A large hand dropped to my shoulder, another wrapping around the curve of my hip.

“You don't understand, couldn't possibly _imagine_ what this means to me,” he whispered along my neck, squeezing my hip gently.

We stood there in silence for a couple more seconds before he finally retracted himself and left the room. A moment later, I heard the front door close with a resounding thud. I only managed to remain stable, keep myself held together, for about a minute before I crumpled to the floor, my whole world crashing down around me.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	7. Peace Offering

I figured I had plenty of time to have a nice, healthy break down. Kyuhyun would undoubtedly take his time now that he had a taste of freedom in God knew how long. I took full advantage of my privacy. It had been a long time since I'd had a panic attack, I'd almost forgotten how it felt. Kyuhyun's words had obviously been the trigger. I folded in on myself, body buckling as I wrapped my arms securely around my chest while pulling my knees into my body. My heart fluttered in my chest, breaths coming in quick gasping pants. Not being one prone to anger or violence, I found myself cursing Kyuhyun, cursing him to the fiery depths of hell. I had been doing _so_ well. My life was finally getting sorted out then I had to go and be charitable, taking in a stray against my better judgment. It's not like I could have known it was actually a man. A man with biting words and an ego for days.

Images, memories flashed through my mind, bombarding me overwhelmingly with the past. I whimpered, closing in on myself further, sinking into the corner of the utility room. My body began to tremble as tears prickled my eyes. My chest felt tight, painfully tight. I cringed at every mental picture, every recalling of his voice wrapping affectionately around my name. The way his body fit into mine, the way my legs had always wrapped around his waist to pull him closer, _deeper_. My hands traveled up to tangle in my hair, twisting around the brown tresses as the hot tears chased one another down my cheeks.

“Why, Kangin, _why_?”

 

I allowed myself only an hour of weeping self loathing before kicking back into nervous cleaning. And Kyuhyun wondered how I kept everything so clean. My clothes were now tumbling in the dryer. I had played around with the idea of making a shopping list, but I held off since I didn't know Kyuhyun's preferences. My hands still shook as I tidied up, nerves still racked over my earlier moment of weakness. When the dryer buzzed, signaling my clothes were dry, I scampered off to start folding before the wrinkles had the chance to set in. I perked up in the middle of my folding when I heard a commotion by the front door.

“Leeteuk! I'm ho~me!” a cheery voice called.

Freedom had gone to his head. My ears picked up on the rustling of plastic bags before footfalls headed my way.

“You didn't make it very far from where I left you,” he pointed out with a broad smile.

“You're back sooner than I expected,” I replied lightly as I continued to fold.

“I didn't want to press my luck.”

I had no idea what he was referring to so I just shrugged it off. His smile faded as he got a better look at me. He slid into the room and strode toward me, grabbing my chin with a firm hold to force me to look into his face.

“Why is your face splotchy? Why are your eyes red?” he questioned, as if ready to defend my honor if someone had stormed into my apartment to shake me down for my lunch money.

“Don't worry about it,” I replied, trying to remove his hand but only succeeding in tipping my head further back so he could get a better look at my tear-streaked face.

“Leeteuk-”

“No. I'm not ready to talk to you about it. Not just yet.”

I pushed his hand away gently and bent down to pluck the last stray sock out of the dryer before closing it with an empty echo. He followed after me into the bedroom to watch patiently as I put away my clothes. I paused halfway and he gave me a quizzical look.

“I should clean out some drawers for you,” I said as I began to think of how to reorganize my things to make room for Kyuhyun.

“We can figure it out later. It's not like I bought a lot. Food is more important than clothes. Just empty a drawer or give me some closet space.”

“You seem rather chipper,” I commented as I cleaned out one top drawer of my dresser to squish its contents into another. “Yours,” I pointed at the open drawer in indication.

He gave me a thumbs up before replying.

“You don't know how long it's been since I've been able to stretch my own two, human legs.”

“I would if you'd tell me.”

“I'll tell you if you tell _me_ why you were crying while I was gone,” he compromised.

So he wanted to play _that_ game.

“Why don't you change into some of your new clothes so we can go? Bring the rest in here so I can put them away.”

He turned on his heel, ready to carry out my orders until I stopped him in his tracks.

“Wait.”

He paused, glancing over his shoulder to raise a brow in my direction.

“Is it really that easy?” I asked. “I'll spill my guts and you'll spill yours in return?”

Kyuhyun struggled with his answer for a few moments. I could see the war waging inside his head. It must have been some epic battle. I could see the emotions flitting across his face.

“No, probably not.”

I physically deflated as he walked out of the room. Just as well. I wasn't ready for a deep heart to heart with him anyway. At least that's what I kept telling myself. I emptied a second drawer and pushed my clothes in the closet to the right side to make more room. He may not have many clothes now, but he would acquire more in time.

“I picked you up something while I was out,” he declared as he walked back into the bedroom. “Don't you dare get all huffy about money and how we didn't discuss gift buying in the budget.”

I snapped my mouth shut, thunder completely stolen. What could he have possibly gotten me?

“What is it?” I asked shyly, careening around his body to try and sneak a peek at what he held in his hands behind his back.

He tilted to the opposite side to keep it a secret.

“Well, it's a couple things actually. I couldn't decide so I got them both. I was feeling generous after being allowed outside on my own.”

“It was my money,” I muttered. Generous _indeed_.

He waved my words aside.

“Go wait in the living room and I'll bring them out after changing and taking care of my clothes.”

I lifted a brow in surprise.

“I'm quite capable of taking care of clothes,” he assured as he whisked me out of the room, closing the door between us.

I was a bit stunned. Gifts? I trudged my way to the living room, barely lifting my feet from the wood floor. The day wasn't even halfway over and I was already exhausted, emotionally and mentally drained. Collapsing onto my white sofa, I draped an arm over my eyes. If Kyuhyun didn't hurry, I could easily drift off.

“Oh good, your eyes are already closed.”

I twitched at the sudden sound of his voice but kept my arm in place since he seemed to be going for surprise factor. Something brushed along my elbow and I came to the conclusion he had taken a seat on the floor next to me.

“Roll onto your side but keep your eyes closed.”

Slowly rotating onto my side, I switched my arm for my hand to cover my eyes.

“Kyuhyun … you didn't bring home a real cat, did you?” I asked worriedly.

“Now _that_ woulda been an idea,” he chuckled.

“Kyuhyun,” I groaned, urging him to continue. Surprises made me anxious.

“Okay, okay. Open your eyes.”

I slid my hand down off my face to rest on the cushion in front of me. I mentally prepared myself before peeking through the slits of my eyelids, opening them all the way once I saw it wasn't anything to be worried over. Kyuhyun held a green and yellow box in front of his face. Only his large excited eyes were visible from over the top of the box.

“Crayons?” I laughed, reaching out to take them from him, revealing a goofy grin. “Why?”

“I told you that you need more color in your life. Here's a start,” he shrugged one shoulder as he spoke.

“No coloring book?” I asked, glancing down at his lap to see if he was hiding it there.

“Nah, I figured you could make your own pictures.”

“Thanks,” I smiled.

It was the heavy duty box, too. He must've picked out the biggest box he could find complete with all possible colors and the plastic sharpener embedded in the back.

“I decided to hold off on the other till later,” he explained.

Fine by me. One surprise was more than enough. Silly me, wanting to open the box and glance over all the different colors of shiny wax. Must've been my inner child.

“Ready to go shopping?” he asked.

I nodded, still rotating the box in my hands.

“We should grab lunch before we shop for groceries. Never a good idea to shop on an empty stomach. You hungry?”

“Always.”

“Good to know.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	8. Getting to Know You

We were sitting across from each other in a booth of a small restaurant as we waited for our food. There was no conversation, just awkward silence. I sipped at my water nervously, chewing the end of my straw as my eyes roamed, flitting back to look at him every few seconds. He drummed his fingers along the top of the table to a tune in his head, lips mumbling the words that must have gone with it.

“Okay, I have an idea,” he finally cracked, leaning forward on his elbows like he had some sinister plan to share with me.

I slid my water to the side and inclined slightly to hear what he had to say.

“We'll ask each other questions, anything you want to know. If the other person is comfortable answering, you answer. If not, you pass. Each of us is allowed three passes. Once your passes are up, the game is over. Should help us get to know each other little by little until we're comfortable with not passing.”

Not a bad idea. I was impressed. I wondered how long he had been sitting on the idea until finally breaking the silence to suggest it.

“Who goes first?”

“The genius behind the idea _obviously_.”

“Is it back and forth or all in one go?”

“One go,” he replied quickly.

“Alright, three passes. Go ahead,” I breathed, waving a hand for him to get started.

He thought a moment as he eyed me up and down, fingertips rubbing along his chin like he was on the verge of cracking some major case.

“Why were you crying?” he tried hopefully.

“Pass,” I snipped quickly.

He couldn't have been that dumb. His brows knitted in frustration. Apparently he had some hope that I would answer.

“ _Do_ you have abandonment issues?” he asked gently.

“Yes.”

It was a simple enough question. I didn't have to go into an explanation about it. He took his time to ask his next question as our food was delivered. He dove in heartily like he may never get the chance to eat ever again. Scarfing down every morsel, I sat there frozen as I watched. For some reason, I had pinned him as a picky eater, avoiding certain vegetables or some other such nonsense. Color me surprised. Conversation took a stalemate as he purred in appreciation at each delicious bite. I found it endearing and couldn't stop myself from smiling as I ate more … delicately. I guess I didn't have to worry about making something he didn't like.

“Are you gay?” he asked from around a mouthful of noodles and vegetables.

I almost spit out my water in a screen of moisture, opting to choke on it instead, spluttering as I forced the cold fluid from my lungs.

“Ugh … yes,” I wheezed.

It's not like he didn't already have a clue into that answer, he had first had experience.

“How long had it been since you've been with someone?”

“Intimately or relationship wise?”

“Both.”

I debated on answering as I pressed my napkin to my mouth. I also debated on whether or not I should be a smart ass.

“Relationship wise … going on two years. Intimately, very early this morning.”

“You know what I meant,” he replied with a dramatic roll of his eyes before shoveling in another huge portion. “ _Before_ me.”

“Even longer than the relationship,” I supplied.

I could tell he caught the understanding. The relationship had apparently gone sour so there was no intimacy for awhile before the eventual break up. Yeah … I could see how he could figure it out that way. It's not like it was inaccurate. Nail on the head. Though, I didn't know there was something wrong at the time, didn't think anything of it.

“Same guy for both?”

I nodded solemnly, pushing my food around with the tips of my chopsticks.

“Why all the white?”

“Pass,” I replied with a small smile, sticking out my tongue to indicate it wasn't some horrific reason from my past.

I could've answered. I just didn't want to explain one of my many quirks.

“What do you do?” he finally took a break from his food to wash it down with his own beverage, juice.

I assumed he was sick of water and milk.

“I work at a cafe slash coffee shop as a barista slash waiter. I fill in as a cook sometimes if they need it. Been there for a few years, the people are really great,” I beamed.

I loved my job. It was the one constant in my life that I could rely on. The other workers were like my family, each one filling a role to make it complete. I smiled to myself as I thought of each individual. It was my day off and I was already excited to go back to work the following day. Maybe Yesung had finally cut all his relentless teasing and flirting and had asked Ryeowook out for a proper date. Had Hangeng completed his new recipe for brownies he had been experimenting with? I grimaced as I wondered how many dishes poor Henry had broken today. He was still fairly new and horribly clumsy, but we weren't going to give up on him.

“Do you regret bringing me home last night?”

My smile froze before slowly fading. The answer remained to be seen.

“I don't know yet. There are some factors that haven't presented themselves,” I whispered.

“You still think I'm going to split.”

It wasn't a question so I didn't feel the need to acknowledge it as such. He nodded to himself, already assuming my answer.

“Why do you live alone?”

“Pass and I don't anymore.”

“That's your three,” he declared, offering up his hands in surrender. “Your turn.”

I could see him eyeballing my food so I slid my plate to him. His face lit up as he dug in with newfound hunger. I watched him eat for a few moments before starting my turn of the game. My eyes roamed down to his bright green long sleeved shirt. Ah.

“Why are you so big on color?” I asked conversationally.

“Pass,” he grunted, head still bent down over the dish.

“Do you miss your previous owner?”

“Not especially.”

He obviously hadn't meant to answer that one. I could tell by the look on his face and from the fact that he actually paused to blink at his food instead of killing it. It was like his answer had been a reflex, gut reaction. I knew he would pass on any further questions I asked about why he didn't miss him so I went in a different direction.

“Why a kitten and not a full grown cat?”

“Because kittens are cuter? I honestly don't know. Why feline at all?”

I thanked our waiter as he slipped our bill onto the table, face down. I reached for it and pulled it to me as I pulled out my wallet, thumbing thought the appropriate number of bills. Standing to my feet, I grabbed Kyuhyun by the hand and dragged him from the booth before he had the chance to lick the bowls clean. We took our question game to the sidewalk as we headed to the local market.

“What if you run into a family member or a friend?” I asked as my arm bumped against his.

“My family moved shortly after my passing. I have no idea where they went. One day, they were just gone. As for friends, I didn't have many so there's not a high risk of running into the few I had.”

“What if someone recognizes you?”

“Mistaken identity,” he shrugged simply.

“Do you regret agreeing to the man's deal?”

He thought it over as he grabbed a cart in the entrance of the market, leading the way into the store. We went down the first aisle, putting anything we wanted in the metal basket of the cart before wheeling down the next aisle over to do the same.

“Sometimes. Not as much as I used to. At the beginning, I wished I had just died. No, not until fairly recently have I begun to appreciate the second chance.”

I didn't want to press my luck by picking into his brain further on this particular thread. I wanted him to hold onto those last passes for as long as possible.

“What are you going to do at home while I'm at work?”

Kyuhyun was the one grabbing the most items from the shelves to stash in our cart.

“I figure, since I can't get a job, I'll pull my own weight and do chores around the apartment. Laundry, dishes, mopping, dusting if I feel adventurous. I can't cook so that rests solely on you unless you want me to burn the place down. When chores are done I can reward myself by playing on your computer or maybe even start writing my memoirs.”

I hid my laugh behind the flat of my hand but saw him glance at me out of the corner of his eye with a smirk of his own.

“Would you prefer it if I turn the office into your own bedroom so you don't have to share with me? Can have your own space?”

He brought the cart to a halt as he gave me an incredulous look.

“No. Don't you dare,” he replied seriously.

“Okay. I was just making sure,” I assured him, raising my hands in defense.

We turned down the frozen foods aisle as I thought of more questions, wrapping my arms around myself to ward against the chill.

“Are _you_ gay?”

“Yes. I can't stand women.”

“Do you regret me finding you last night?”

“I've already answered that before, but I can see you are one that needs reassuring. Not in the least. And again, for the record, I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.”

I turned my head to the side, pretending to investigate the contents of one of the freezers to conceal my smile. It was nice to hear, even if I didn't fully trust his words yet.

“What was your previous owner like?”

“Pass.”

I frowned slightly, more at myself than his avoidance of the question. Yes, I should've known better than to ask about his last master, but I was curious. The topic was obviously blacklisted.

“Have you only had two?”

“Yes.”

At least I'd only be compared to one other where masters were concerned. I still didn't know how many people, males, he had been with while he was human.

“Were you a student when it happened?”

“Yes.”

We left the aisles to start strolling around the produce. Kyuhyun didn't reach out to grab anything. This wasn't his area of expertise. After assuring me he would eat anything I made, I started to bag up fruits and vegetables to place in the cart.

“What were you studying?”

“Music.”

I blinked at him.

“Do you play an instrument?”

“I sing.”

I was taken aback. It's not that I couldn't picture it. Even his regular talking voice was pleasant to listen to. It's just … for someone who had been studying music, I figured he would sing more. It was still early in our time together, though. Maybe he wasn't comfortable enough around me yet to sing. I found myself looking forward to the day he would be.

“Did you have a boyfriend when it happened?”

“No.”

Good. I wouldn't have to worry about old boyfriends possibly creeping out of the woodwork and wedging themselves into the picture. I could only handle so much. I breathed a sigh of relief as we directed ourselves to the check out lanes. Our haul was actually smaller then I thought it would be. Not that we needed a lot, just _more_.

“Are you only keeping things to yourself because I'm not willing to open up?”

“Partly.”

I still wasn't so sure I'd be willing to trade telling my past to hear his, no matter how curious I was. It was a tempting swap but one I wasn't willing to make. Not until I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn't just up and leave if someone better came along.

“How long were you in that box before I found you?”

We each carried a brown paper bag full of groceries as we strolled side by side down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace. The sounds of our shoes scuffing the concrete mixed with the sounds of cars driving by.

“Maybe a week? I can't be too sure. It may have only been a couple days. It was all a blur really.”

“Do you have … commitment issues?”

“And pass. That was my last one. Game over.”

That wasn't reassuring for me at all. We entered the apartment building and I paused at the foot of the stairs as Siwon jogged down them towards us. Uh oh. This wasn't going to go smoothly.

“Hey, Leeteuk!” he waved excitedly, coming up short when his eyes swiveled to Kyuhyun. “And who's this strapping young lad? New boyfriend? About time, Teukie!”

I watched wide eyed as Kyuhyun took a step forward to exchange introductions with Siwon.

“I'm Kyuhyun. Leeteuk's new … roommate.”

“I'm Siwon, your new neighbor!” Siwon smiled in response before turning to me. “Did he come with the cat?”

Kyuhyun chocked on a cough as I struggled to find words.

“Yes, you could say that,” I replied weakly.

“Well good for you! It's about time you opened up to new people again! You've been alone for long enough, it's about time you had someone living with you again.”

He clapped me on the back with a broad grin before continuing on his way out the door. His presence had no doubt been _just_ long enough to stir up more questions in Kyuhyun's mind.

“He's a chipper guy,” Kyuhyun commented slowly. “I feel I could get a lot of juicy information out of him.”

I jumped to his side in an instant, face pleading as I spoke urgently.

“Please no, Kyu. Don't talk to him. He doesn't really know anything about me. Probably just has theories that couldn't be further from the truth,” I gushed as I floundered at his side.

“I'm only teasing. I'd rather hear it all from you.”

He turned on his heel and began ascending the stairs.

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	9. Rambling

We put away the groceries together, Kyuhyun learning where everything belonged with each package he picked up. Afterward, he left to set up his toothbrush and things in the bathroom. I found myself at a loss of what to do with the rest of my day off. The sun was just beginning its descent to the horizon. I peeked up at the door to the balcony over the back of the couch to squint against the red orange glow. Kyuhyun entered the living room at that moment to join me after he was all set with making himself at home.

“Now what?” he asked as he swung his arms at his sides absently.

“You don't have to try and figure something out to do with me. You can go play on the computer if you want.”

“Winning without a challenge all the time gets boring.”

“Really?”

“Never.”

I smiled as I glanced up at him, wondering if we would ever be able to open up to one another, to trust. Part of me longed for it, wanted nothing more. The other part wanted to run screaming for the hills and never look back. There was only one way for us to get through this. To make that leap of faith. We just had to bite the bullet and take the plunge. We were both just too scared and even if Kyuhyun didn't want to admit it, I assumed we were afraid for the same reason. We didn't want to get hurt. _Again_.

“What time do you work tomorrow?” Kyuhyun asked out of the blue.

“Three to close. I'll get out at around one in the morning. I'll be sure to make you food before I go so you don't starve.”

“I wouldn't _starve_ ,” he grumbled defiantly. “We bought plenty of snacks to keep me alive until you get home.”

“Either way, I'll make something.”

He didn't protest further. The silence stretched between us. My eyes shifted about the room awkwardly. I wondered if he felt as uncomfortable as I did.

“Wanna play?” he suggested hopefully in a rush, as if all his creative juices rested on this one idea.

“Play what?”

He shuffled to the kitchen table, grabbed something I couldn't see and made his way back to the living room, heading straight for me. He thrust his closed fist forward. I didn't understand at first but then cupped my hands together under his to catch what he dropped. It was the little silver laser pointer I had bought at the pet store on the way out.

“ _Oh_ ,” I breathed, looking up at him from my spot on the couch. “You sure?”

“Yeah. I need to burn off some energy. And you did say you thought you were bringing home a cat. Well you did … partly. I'm just gonna go change in the bedroom. Be right back.”

I watched as he disappeared down the hall. I wasn't stunned by his choice of activity to fill the gap of silence. If I could morph into a cat, I'd probably do it pretty often. I can't explain why, but my face lit up as the mostly black kitten bounded into the room, little paws scrambling for purchase against the floor. It's like my brain saw kitty and human as two separate beings. My reaction was silly, really.

“Hey, KyuKyu! Wanna play?” I asked cheerfully.

He batted at my pant leg with a stark white paw. I giggled before putting the laser pointer to good use. He slid around the living room in hopes of capturing the red speckle. I let him catch it a few times just to be nice. As I watched him run around I pondered the thought of buying a rug for the room so he could switch direction easier. I smiled as I watched his tail twitch back and forth as he got ready to pounce on the red point. I jerked it to the side at the last second. He lifted his paw slowly and glanced underneath to see if he had succeeded in his mission. When he saw that he hadn't, he began looking around to set eyes on his target once more.

When he plopped down on his behind about fifteen minutes later, I slid to the floor and stretched out on my stomach to bring myself down to his level. I reached up to set the pointer on the coffee table as he trotted over to me. He sniffed at my hair and I poked his furry belly. I pushed him away playfully when he began chewing on the light brown strands.

“You can't be hungry. You ate both our lunches,” I teased him.

I scooped him up in my hands and flipped onto my back to place him down on my chest. He circled around a few times before laying on his tummy, hind legs extended out behind him while his front paws reached straight ahead. He let out a sigh and I scratched behind his ear.

“Did I tucker you out?” I grinned as I rested my head against the floor to stare up at the ceiling.

I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of his purring. The warmth from his small body spread through my chest. He was almost as good as a blanket. I found myself wanting to slip into my usual habit when Kyuhyun was a kitten: rambling. He wouldn't talk back so why not let my inner monologue be heard? It was easier talking to a cat than to a judgmental human.

“I want to trust you, to believe you when you say you're here to stay. I'm curious about your past as well: why you won't mention anything about your last owner, how many guys you've been with, why you adore color so much, why I haven't heard you sing. I can't … I can't give you some of the things you want from me if I don't know for sure that you'll be here when I get home … if I don't have _some_ sort of label.”

I lifted my head when I felt movement from him. He stood to his feet and jumped off my belly. I continued with my speech as he jumped up onto the couch, burying himself behind one of the pillows.

“I'm not comfortable doing … things,” I struggled with my words, brain trying to keep up with my mouth, “I'm not one to have meaningless flings. I know you have commitment-”

“I _don't_ have commitment issues,” an exasperated voice claimed.

I whipped my head to the couch. Kyuhyun was sitting with the pillow he had been burying behind in his lap. I raised a brow, both at his words and his covering of himself. He never seemed to care before.

“Just because I passed on the question earlier doesn't mean I do. And why do you talk to me more freely when I'm a cat?”

He seemed irritated at the revelation.

“You don't talk back or interrupt when fluffy.”

“I'm going to ignore most of your previous rambling for the moment and focus on the key problem: your insecurity about me leaving,” he stated in a heated tone.

I picked up on the fact that he was angry. His jaw was set and his eyes were just on this side of menacing yet I also saw that he was trying to maintain his composure.

“ _Why_ would I leave? You're already the most promising owner I've had, you have a computer you let me use freely, you gave me a _key_ so I can actually go _outside_ -”

“So if a better owner comes along you gonna have _him_ fuck you? Doesn't matter who it is as long as you're taken care of? Given a key and a computer,” I snapped back.

I glared up at the ceiling as rolls of my own anger coursed through my body in waves.

“I would never hurt you like that,” he defended.

“No? Then how _would_ you do it?”

“It's not just the computer and key. It's also … you're … you're pretty beautiful yourself, y'know? What do I have to do to prove I'm not going to leave? Sign my name in blood? Tell me what to do.”

A blush broke out across my cheeks at him referring to me as beautiful. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth as I allowed the silence to surround us, any traces of anger seeping away from my body. Finally, letting out a sigh, I rolled away from him and onto my left side.

“Nothing. There's nothing you can say or do to assure me,” I mumbled.

Movement sounded from behind me and I hunched my shoulders up around my neck. An arm slid around my waist as Kyuhyun pressed up behind me. I relaxed slightly as he buried his face between my neck and shoulder, seeking out my hand with the arm he had around me to hold it in his own. I tilted the side of my head back against the floor to expose more of my neck for him to have free reign over. I gasped through parted lips as he pressed his lips firmly behind my ear. They brushed gently along my earlobe before he spoke.

“He really hurt you, didn't he?” he whispered softly.

I tensed in his arms, turning my head to look up at him, question in my wide eyes.

“It wasn't hard to put the pieces together. Especially after our run in with that guy Siwon.”

I rolled the rest of my body to face him, allowing Kyuhyun to pull me into his chest. His naked chest. I glanced down swiftly to see he had wrapped the blanket from the couch around his waist before coming to my side to comfort me.

“He left you?” he asked as he stroked my back soothingly.

I nodded numbly, cheek brushing his skin as I tentatively placed my left hand on his shoulder.

“Out of the blue?”

“Yes. He … he left a note,” I muttered, sliding my eyes closed.

Now that we had started, now that I had taken the first step, I knew there was no stopping me from sharing whatever he wanted to hear. He could ask me anything, even if he didn't know it. The floodgates were open. I wasn't going to make any move to close them

“What did it say?” he asked as he placed his free hand on the top of my head to tuck it under his chin.

“That he never loved me. He was cheating on me the whole time with a slew of random women. How he was just using me the whole time. Said he couldn't pass up what a good, tight _fuck_ I was, but that he wasn't gay and couldn't pretend to live such a _disgusting_ lie anymore. Two years is a long time to fake it just for a good fuck, don't you think?”

“Shh … shh,” he cooed.

I hadn't even realized I had started to cry, that my body was racking with sobs. Covering my face with my hands, I fought to calm myself down. It didn't take long. I had cried so much earlier in the day. My breathing returned to normal while the tears flowed silently.

“I guess I can assume he lived here with you and that's why you've been living alone, not being able to trust anyone since and why you were crying earlier while I was gone. My words struck a chord. I'm sorry.”

“We lived in a different unit of the complex. I couldn't stay there. Not with all the memories. My friends helped me move and took turns staying with me until I was okay on my own,” I said from behind my hands, voice coming out in a weird muffled mess.

“Leeteuk. Leeteuk, look at me,” he urged.

I spread my fingers to peek up at him through the gaps. He nudged my hands away from my face before tipping it up with a knuckle under my chin.

“I know they're just words, but they are all I can give you until you believe me, learn to trust me, before I can prove it each day by being here when you wake up and when you come home from work. I'm _honestly_ not going anywhere. I simply have no reason to. All I could ever need is right here. Yes, that's cheesy, but what am I going to find elsewhere that could possibly come close to you? You're all I could ever want or need in a master.”

Damn it all. It had all sounded so great until those last few words. _In a master._ I didn't want to be seen as his _master._ How long would it take before he could see me as more? As more than the one that provided for him?

“Where are you going?” he asked curiously as I began to disentangle myself from him.

“I'm gonna start dinner. You said you were always hungry, right?”

 

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	10. Good Behavior

Kyuhyun cleared away the dishes after we were through, explaining he should start pulling his own. He ushered me out of the kitchen, telling me to go relax as he washed the dishes.

I sat on the floor in the living room between the couch and coffee table, box of crayons finally open in front of me with a few blank pieces of white paper I stole from my printer. I inhaled the scent of the fresh crayons and smiled to myself. Oh yes. This took me back. There was just one thing I had to do before I began my doodling. I emptied out every segmented container, laying the crayons flat on the table side by side. I stashed the empty box under the table for safe keeping until I was done. Sorting out the sticks of wax, I separated them by color, making groups on the table. Reds with reds, blues with blues until they were all with their little families. The miscellaneous colors like gold, black, gray, silver and so on were in their own pile together. Now I just had to think of something to draw.

Picking up a sandy tan color, I gripped it before drawing a line towards the bottom of the lengthwise turned page. I shaded in the inch wide margin and set the crayon down with the other browns. The sound of running water and the clinking of dishes issued from the kitchen as I continued to work on my masterpiece. I paused in my selection of choice of blue when I heard it. It was very faint but it was there, an underlying rumble hidden beneath the splash of water. Kyuhyun was _humming_. It was a deep, rich sound. I found my mouth hanging open as I strained to hear him better, craning my head to the side. It was almost as if he was consciously trying to stay quieter than the other noises of the room. I didn't care. It was definitely a start. I colored to the sound of his wordless melody.

I wished he had taken his time with the dishes, his humming stopped when he turned off the water. I frowned. It had been so pleasant. He switched off the light in the kitchen, the only light source being the floor lamp next to the couch I had turned on to see while coloring. It had grown dark long ago and I stifled a yawn as I filled in the body of my purple octopus.

“Oh, now that's cute,” he teased.

I glanced up at him with one eye as I rubbed the other sleepily. He was standing at the edge of the living room, hands on his hips and cheeky grin in place.

“Don't make fun.”

“I'm not. You're adorable. Now put the crayon down, Picasso. Let's get you to bed. You have work tomorrow.”

I pulled the box back out from under the coffee table so I could start packing away the crayons.

“Leave them. I'll take care of them tomorrow.”

“But-”

“Don't worry. I see the strange little color coding you got going on. They can live that way inside the box. I'll see to it. Come on.”

He made a grabby hand at me as he walked towards the hallway. Standing up, I stretched fluidly, elongating my body by reaching my arms up over my head and flexing up on my toes. I opened my eyes to catch Kyuhyun staring at me. I blushed as I pulled my shirt back down over my exposed midriff. He snapped his eyes up to my face and swallowed visibly before jerking his head over his shoulder. _Come on._ I switched off the lamp and followed him into the bedroom. I was about to turn on the light when he stopped me, hand circling around my extended wrist.

“Wait. I still have your second present,” he chided as he shut the door behind us.

“I'm not going to be able to see it in the dark,” I replied.

Very little light was coming through the blinds tonight. It wasn't pitch black or anything. I could make my way around the room no problem but I wouldn't be able to focus on anything Kyuhyun wanted to give me. Though I did take advantage of the cover of darkness. I quickly swept into the room to change into my pajama bottoms as Kyuhyun rustled around in a plastic bag in search of whatever he had bought me with my own money. I crawled onto my usual side of the bed and folded back the blankets to slide beneath them, pulling them back up to my waist.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered conspiratorially.

I braced my elbows against the thighs of my bent legs and used both hands to shield my eyes, one for each.

“You must love Christmas and birthdays, huh?” I asked as I tapped my bare feet against the mattress.

“I could learn to love them again,” he admitted.

He was near the dresser against the wall straight ahead of me. He was fiddling around with something, setting some object on top of its surface. I heard the flick of a switch and the gentle whirring of a motor. The bed next to me dipped as Kyuhyun sat down, scooting close to me until his hip and arm were pressed to mine.

“Alright,” he said, leaning against me to give me an encouraging nudge.

I could hear his eager smile. I dropped my hands to my lap and gasped loudly, looking around the room in wonder. Flecks of light were spinning around the room slowly. _Colorful_ light. Red, purple, blue, green. I watched as a green dot crawled up my arm before jumping to the pillow.

“Kyuhyun,” I breathed as I stared up at the ceiling.

“You like it?”

I nodded dumbly in reply.

“Good. Then I can toss out the receipt,” he cheered as he slipped off the bed and walked to his designated drawers of the dresser.

I watched as he changed into his own pajamas. He kept his back to me as he pulled off his shirt. The muscles in his back shifted as he freed his arms from the sleeves. My eyes remained fixed on the scars as a red orb crossed his shoulders. It reminded me of blood and I cringed. Whatever happened, however he earned those, it couldn't have been without great pain. I was brought back to the present when he slid his pants down his legs along with his underwear. My eyes lingered on the curve of his backside, following the swell of flesh down to his pale thighs. I frowned at the scars I found crisscrossed along their otherwise flawless perfection. All of his skin was hidden from me a moment later as he pulled up the waist band of his new sky blue pants. He glanced over his shoulder to catch me in my spying. I didn't avert my gaze fast enough and caught his smirk. He turned completely and hunched forward so his palms were braced against the bed on either side of my feet. Blue light reflected off his dark hair as he crawled across the bed towards me. I had no choice but to lower my knees and spread my legs to accommodate him. I shirked back against the pillows as he loomed over me.

“I know you won't let me have what I really want at this moment, but I deserve at least a little something for good behavior, right?”

I didn't know if he was referring to the gifts or the fact he had returned at all. Done the dishes? It didn't matter.

“Don't I?” he pressed.

“Yes?” I stammered.

“Don't you think so?” he inquired.

“Yes,” I replied firmly with more conviction as I stared up at him.

He shifted to rest his body along mine, bringing a hand up to the side of my face to brush his fingers through the hair at my temple.

“So kiss me,” he commanded.

He made it sound so simple. That's because it was.

I reached up with both hands to splay my fingers through his hair, wrapping around the back of his head to pull him down to me, crashing our lips together harshly. I moaned low in my throat as he slipped an arm beneath my shoulders and angled his head to deepen the kiss. He didn't leave me in control for long. His warm tongue slid into my mouth, flicked it against my own causing my blood to run near boiling. I whimpered as he drew my bottom lip between his sharp teeth. I moved my hands down his neck to grasp at his strong shoulders. He rolled his hips into my pelvis through the blanket causing me to jerk away from his mouth to toss my head back.

“Uhn … Kyuhyun.”

His hot tongue ran wetly along my throat, hand drifting up to graze my nipple with a nail. He pinched the nub between two fingers and I arched into him.

“Kyuhyun! Nn … stop,” I groaned.

He pulled away immediately, smirking down at me in cocky satisfaction before taking his place next to me beneath the covers.

“You're off the hook … for now.”

I made to get out of bed to turn off the colorful display.

“No. Leave it on,” he requested as circles floated all around us.

I settled back down into the mattress on my back. We drifted off while watching the colors dance across the ceiling, Kyuhyun's hand resting over mine on the mattress between us.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	11. Marks and Claims

“Leeteuk … Leeteuk. Teuk … Teuk … Teukie. Teukie-hyung. Hyung. Master.”

“I told you not to call me that,” I finally grumbled. I couldn't believe his persistence, especially it being morning. Why was he even awake?

“Well it's apparently the only thing that gets your attention,” he quipped as he poked at my exposed cheek since the other was pressed into the pillow.

“What do you want?” I slurred sleepily, trying to bat his hand away but missing as he dodged my attack.

“It's time for breakfast.”

Ah. That's why he was so chipper. Food. How was he not fatter?

“Are you gonna wake me up like this every morning?”

“Quite possibly. Definitely since you feed me.”

I whined in the form of a groan.

“Can I shower first?” I mumbled, finally opening my eyes to glance up into his smirking face.

“Only if I can join,” he grinned with excited eyes.

“What do you want for breakfast?”

 

 

Kyuhyun insisted on doing the dishes again once we were through with our Western style breakfast. He ate his omelet so fast I wondered if I had accidentally only made one.

“I got this. You go shower and get ready for work,” he commanded, slapping me across the behind with a dish towel.

I hopped forward in surprise before shrugging it off and making my way to the bathroom. I flicked on the light and shut the door behind me, stripping off my clothes. I let them fall to the tile floor and leaned into the shower stall to turn on the water.

It was when I was rinsing the shampoo from my hair that I felt him before seeing him. He was propped up against the door frame, figure blurry through the distorted glass. I hadn't even heard him open the door.

“Do I have to start locking the door?” I asked lightly.

“Do I have to be a ball of fur for you to be naked around me because if so, that's just weird.”

I blushed, continuing to rinse the suds from my head. He didn't move from his spot as I grabbed the soap from its dish.

“I could help you with that.”

I froze as his words washed over me. Help sounded good. Better than good. I closed my eyes to pull myself together.

“I can manage.”

“Are you really withholding sex from me?”

“Sex? I thought we were talking about washing my back,” I replied innocently.

“Answer the question,” he demanded in a hard tone.

“Y-yes,” I stammered, lathering up my body as I eyed him cautiously through the corner of my eye.

“Why?” he growled angrily.

I flinched, missing the soap dish the first time before finally settling the white oval back into it's rightful place.

“I don't … I don't sleep with guys I'm not dating,” I replied firmly.

He mumbled under his breath. _Dating_. Turning on his heel, he left the doorway storming off so I could finish my shower.

A few minutes later I walked into the bedroom with a towel around my waist to find a kitten laying on the work clothes I had laid out before taking my shower.

“Sulking are we? You're lucky my apron is black, KyuKyu, or I may have had to shave you in retaliation. Heechul did it with one of his cats, he could give me pointers.”

He hissed as me as I reached for my shirt. I jerked my hand back in surprise but darted it forward to snatch it up. Pulling on the white undershirt, I eyed him warily as I then slid my arms through the long sleeves of my button down shirt, also in white. It wasn't personal preference, all the white was part of the dress code. Walking to one of my drawers, I fished out a pair of boxer briefs and pulled them on under the towel.

“You're gonna have to give me my apron eventually.”

I tossed the towel to hang on the edge of the hamper then put on my black slacks that were resting a safe distance from the little ball of rage. Edging closer to Kyu I watched the fur on his back stand up slowly.

“Kyu, give me my apron. I need to work to make money to feed you.”

Reaching out slowly with my hand, he glared at it as it grew closer to the material he was settled on. He growled low in his throat and I paused in my movement.

“Kyu, please,” I whispered, afraid he would bite me.

Pressing forward, I neared my target. He swiped at me in a blur, claws grazing the inside of my wrist. Hissing through my teeth, I pulled back, cradling my wrist against my chest. I rolled up the arm of my sleeve so the ebbing blood wouldn't stain my shirt. The pain wasn't too bad. He had startled me more than anything.

“You really can't be that upset with me as to draw blood. If you are, just admit we're dating and you can have all the sex you want!” I brandished my other arm to help prove my point and blushed deeply once my words set in. They were said in the heat of the moment but weren't exactly false. “Get off my apron so I can go to work.”

He hissed at me angrily, swiping at the air with his white paw as he bared his sharp teeth. I glared down at him as my wrist throbbed dully. Now the pain was starting to heighten. Might as well just spring and go for it. I dove for my garment but he had anticipated my attack. He lunged and sunk his teeth into the flesh of my hand between my thumb and forefinger.

“Agh!” I cried out as I pulled the apron out from underneath his body with my right hand.

He recoiled at the sound of my voice and backpedaled, ears flattening against his head. I cradled my left arm to my chest, careful to keep the blood from both injuries away from the fabric of my shirt. His head was lowered and he was glancing up at me cutely, as if he already felt bad for his actions.

“You better not have rabies,” I seethed through the pain.

I cleaned up my wounds in the bathroom with my first aid kit. After spreading the ointment gingerly, breathing heavily through my nose, I applied bandages to cover them up. I didn't see Kyu again before heading to work. He must have hid somewhere after biting me and I didn't know if it was because he was still sulking from anger or if he felt bad for hurting me. Either way, I locked the door behind me and started on my walk to the cafe.

I entered the brick building from the rear employee entrance and immediately ran into Ryeowook. He was all smiles as always, long dark bangs swept stylishly over one eye. He was standing in front of his open locker, getting ready for his own shift to start.

“Hey, Teukie! I bet you regret not taking my extra umbrella the other night,” he grinned as he shut the door of his locker.

“Not until recently,” I replied as I opened my own locker to stash my personal items.

He caught sight of my left hand and wrist and let out a startled gasp.

“What happened to you?” he asked with much concern.

“Oh,” I said slowly as I thought of an excuse. “I got a new kitten. He's rather moody, didn't want me to leave for work.”

“Adorable!” he remarked, clapping his hands together under his chin. “What color is he?”

“He's mostly black but his paws are white,” I replied with a small smile as I thought back on when I first found him in that soggy cardboard box.

“Aw can I meet him some time? It's been forever since we had a movie night!”

“Sure,” I answered without even thinking it over. Shoot. “We'll have to set something up. Send me a text sometime. Now enough about me. Anything new with you and Yesung?”

I grinned when my words had the desired effect. If ever I wanted the attention to stray away from me, all I had to do was bring up Yesung's name. A cute blush colored his cheeks and he smiled shyly as he dropped his gaze to the floor, biting his lip nervously.

“I don't know what you're talking about. He's just flirty. He doesn't mean anything by it.”

“Oh I doubt that, Wookie,” I smiled. “You should see the way he looks at you when you aren't looking.”

He gave me a broad smile before fixing the ties of his apron and heading out to the main room to start waiting tables. I followed after him shortly after.

I lost myself in work. I loved my job and was good at it. Greeting customers, taking orders and delivering them to the kitchen window, filling drink orders with Yesung behind the counter, clearing away dirty dishes to deliver them to Henry in the back so he could wash them, serving hot food with a smile. I smiled to myself every time Yesung made Ryeowook blush and winced every time I heard Henry break a dish he was washing in the back. Half of my shift flew by before I even knew it. Once it grew dark and the warm glow of the lighting gave the cafe a cozy feel, Yesung's shift was over and Hangeng came in to relieve him.

“Teukie, what happened to your hand?” he asked with a smile as he wrapped his apron around his waist behind the counter.

“He got a kitty!” Ryeowook gushed happily as he bounced up to the counter and rested his tray on its shiny surface.

“Is that so?” Hangeng turned to look at me, smile growing wider.

“I found him in a box on my way home the other night. I couldn't just leave him there, it was raining,” I shrugged dismissively.

“How chivalrous of you,” Hangeng chuckled.

If they only knew.

“By the way, Leeteuk. There's this cute mysterious guy in my section that keeps eying you,” Ryeowook whispered.

Hangeng raised his brows curiously and glanced over my head to find whoever Ryeowook was referring to. I didn't turn around just yet but I felt his eyes on my back.

“That one in the corner?” Hangeng asked softly as he grabbed a rag to wipe down the counter. It was all an act. The counter was already spotless.

“Yeah, he's hot, huh?” Ryeowook smiled wolfishly.

“Stop cheating on Yesung,” Hangeng scolded playfully.

Ryeowook blushed and turned to look at me expectantly. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply.

“Leeteuk, why aren't you checking this guy out?” Hangeng asked me.

I heard the clinking of glasses as he started making drinks for the customers waiting at the front counter, another employee taking walk-in orders.

“Does he have dark hair, kinda longish and styled messily? Dark, piercing eyes? Probably wearing an insanely bright colored shirt. Deep, velvety voice? Smirk on his face? Ego and confidence just oozing in abundance?” I asked softly. I held my breath waiting for an answer.

“See for yourself,” Ryeowook nudged me gently, but I could tell from his tone of voice that I hit the nail on the head and he was shocked I knew so much without looking.

I hugged my serving tray to my chest and turned on my heel slowly. There he was, smug smirk on his face. Kyuhyun was sitting in the corner staring at me intently. His long legs were crossed elegantly and his fingers drummed against the table. There was a glint in his eyes that I couldn't place and the dim glow of light reflected off his orange shirt.

“What are you _doing_ here?” I whispered to myself as I met his gaze.

“Do you _know_ him?” Hangeng asked from behind me.

My eyes never left Kyuhyun's once I found their dark depths.

“He's … kind of … my new roommate?”

Ryeowook gasped and Hangeng dropped something, sending it clattering to the floor. A spoon perhaps. My shoulders hunched at their reactions.

“Wook, watch the front. Teuk, back room, now,” Hangeng ordered.

I shut my eyes briefly before following Hangeng through the bustling kitchen and into the back room where we kept inventory. He shut the door behind me and spun around with excitement in his face. I averted my gaze to start counting the boxes of cups and lids, eyes roaming to take note of the many options of flavored syrup we had for our drinks. Hrm. We were running low on caramel.

“Are you _dating_ again?” he asked eagerly, barely able to contain his glee.

“Not really,” I assured him. “He's just living with me. He's not even paying rent.”

“That sounds like a live-in boyfriend.”

“He's not my boyfriend.”

“Do you _want_ him to be?”

I bit my lip and looked away. Currently, I wanted nothing more. There was something about him, and I couldn't quite place it. I wanted to trust him. To get to know him while he got to know me. To go to bed with him and wake up next to him. Share meals and do chores together maybe even go on dates. I wanted him to meet my friends, not just in kitty form to prove I had indeed acquired a cat, but as a human as well. I wanted them to get to know him, too. Donghae and Eunhyuk would blow a gasket once I got around to tell them a guy was living with me. It didn't hurt that he was gorgeous, that his dripping confidence only added to his appeal. It had been so long since I let someone in. I wanted Kyuhyun to be that one I took my chance on.

Hangeng was waiting for an answer. An answer I didn't want to give. Now was as good a time as any to talk to him about my situation.

“Hangeng, do you think I could get more shifts? Kyuhyun can't work and I have to feed two now.”

“Kyuhyun? Is that his name? Aren't you feeding three since you have a kitten as well?” he grinned happily.

“Right,” I agreed quickly.

“I'll see what I can do. At the very least, you're do for a raise.”

Work was a little unsettling after that. Kyuhyun never left and watched me the whole time. Ryeowook and Hangeng whispered excitedly whenever they could spare a moment to gossip with one another. I tried to lose myself in my customers once again, but couldn't fully commit. A genuine smile finally lifted the corners of my mouth when one of my regulars walked into my section.

“Hello, Sungmin,” I greeted as he took a seat next to the front window.

“Hey, Teukie. Oh my, what happened to your hand?” he asked worriedly as he gripped the menu in his hands.

I felt the gaze on the back of my head intensify. Smiling down at Sungmin and trying to ignore Kyuhyun, I answered his question.

“I got a kitten. He's a little feisty.”

“Oh, how precious,” he smiled up at me as he leaned back in his chair. “How have you been otherwise?”

“You know me. Work work work,” I shrugged.

“And when are you going to leave this place so you can start working for me?” he pouted playfully.

“Sungmin, you know I love it here.”

It was a bit we played every time he came in. Sungmin was a successful business owner, managing three upscale restaurants scattered around town. He may have a pretty face, but it was surprisingly easy to turn him down each time in the past. However, now that I needed more money, maybe I could work both jobs to help pay my way.

“Say, Sungmin?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yeah?” he asked as he glanced up from his menu.

“Would you really offer me a job at one of your restaurants?”

It had become our routine for so long that maybe that's all it was now and he really didn't mean his words.

“Of course. You in a pinch? Need a second job?” he asked seriously.

“Maybe,” I shifted uncomfortably as the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Sungmin reached into the breast pocket of his jacket to pull out a simple white business card with elegant black script. He held it out for me to take.

“Just call me and we'll set something up. See what you're more comfortable with doing, whether it be tending bar or being part of the waitstaff.”

“Thanks,” I whispered as I took the card. “I'll bring you your usual.”

He looked at the menu each time but always got the same thing. I felt Kyuhyun's glare as I strode to the kitchen quickly to drop off Sungmin's order. Ryeowook met me by the window.

“Your mysterious hottie of a roommate requests an audience with you,” he smiled mischievously, trying to hold his giggle at bay.

“Oh, fantastic,” I mumbled, rubbing my hand over my face.

The smirk was no longer on his face and the darkness in his eyes had doubled. I swallowed nervously as I stood before him, shrinking under his scrutinizing stare.

“Who is that guy?”

I didn't have to ask who he was referring to.

“Sungmin. He's a regular of mine,” I mumbled as I lowered my head. I felt like he was scolding me.

“He's flirting with you.”

“No he's not. He's offering me a second job. Even if he _was_ flirting with me, what do _you_ care? _You_ are bound to _me_. _I'm_ not bound to _you_. _I_ can flirt and date if I want.”

His eyes flashed dangerously and my tough facade melted away. His hands clenched to fists in his lap.

“Big words for such a submissive master. Suddenly ready to start dating now, are we?” he growled softly.

 _Only you_ I answered in my head.

“Ask your boss for a break.”

My heart leaped into my throat and I struggled to find words. Not coming up with any, I turned on my heel to approach the counter. Hangeng had been watching the whole exchange and raised his brows in question as I drew closer.

“Hangeng, can I take my last break?” I asked urgently, not wanting to make Kyuhyun wait longer then he had to.

“Sure, take as long as you need. You want off early? Seems to be getting pretty intense over there. Lover's spat?”

“I can't leave, Hangeng. I need the money.”

Ryeowook came up to the counter to place a drink order with Hangeng for the group of students that had just sat in his section.

“Wookie, can you cover my tables for a bit?”

“Sure. Take as long as you want,” he smiled.

Why did they keep saying that? It's like they thought I would never meet someone ever again and didn't want me to miss a chance at bonding.

“Use the employee bathroom if you need some privacy,” Hangeng snickered, placing a latte and an espresso on Ryeowook's tray before starting on the rest of the drink order.

I rolled my eyes and left my own tray on the counter for when I returned. Walking back to Kyuhyun, I wrung my hands nervously, wincing when the movement sent a twang of pain up my left arm. We probably did need privacy with the way Kyuhyun was silently fuming, just in case he decided to burst.

“Come with me,” I muttered in passing as I rounded the edge of his table to make my way down the hall towards the restrooms.

We passed the men's and women's and continued straight down the hall to the employee's. There was another in the back if someone needed to use it. I shut and locked the door after Kyuhyun strode through. He pushed me up against it with his body as soon as I swiveled to face him.

“You look cute in that uniform. Take it off,” he smirked down at me.

I turned my head to the side as a blush crept across my face. I was trapped between his arms, caging me against the door like he had done in the shower yesterday morning. I was beginning to think it was his favorite method of choice to get me right where he wanted me.

“Kyuhyun, this is my work. Why are you here?”

“I was bored at home. You talked pretty fondly of this place so I thought I'd come check it out,” he shrugged.

“Why are you _still_ here?”

“To keep an eye on you.”

“What _for_?”

There was a subtle change in the air. Almost as if the temperature had dropped a few degrees. I peeked up at him to see his serious expression. The muscles in his jaw clenched as he glared down at me. My eyes widened slightly and my hands grew clammy.

“Let me make _another_ thing clear. _You_ are _mine_ just as much as _I_ am _yours_. No, even more so. There is no flirting or dating other people. Do I need to stake my claim to ward others off?”

He didn't wait for an answer. Forcing my chin to the side with his thumb, he dipped his head down to capture a patch of my neck just above my collarbone with his hot mouth. I gasped as he began to suck harshly, pulling the blood to the surface. I gripped his shoulders, fisting my hands in his orange t-shirt.

“Kyuhyun!” I panted. “Don't! People will see.”

“That's the point,” he replied gruffly.

He glanced down to check the love bite before lapping at it with his tongue. I hissed through my teeth. It stung slightly. Not happy with its boldness, he bent down to darken it further. I whimpered at his roughness but not so secretly enjoyed it. I had grown hard at his forcefulness and knew he could feel it from his close proximity.

“Ah! Kyuhyun, it hurts,” I whined as I slid down the door a few inches.

He stopped sucking but his mouth remained in place. His tongue stroked the bruise as he kissed at the flesh. His hands roamed down my body, one hand slipping up the back of my shirt to run his fingertips firmly down my lower back. I arched into him as his fingers found one of my sensitive areas. I clutched at his body as his other hand lifted my leg to hook it around his hip.

“Hn, Kyuhyun. I have to get back to work,” I moaned as I tipped my head back against the door.

“Leave early,” he mumbled against my neck.

“I can't. We need the money.”

He pressed his pelvis into me as his hand cupped my backside. He continued to kiss the same spot of my neck as he rocked into me. I could feel his excitement through the layers of fabric separating us.

“Kyuhyun, stop!” I urged breathlessly.

He stopped moving, dropping his forehead to my chest as we both breathed heavily. My leg was slowly lowered back to the floor and he tucked the back of my shirt back into my pants. I glanced down at him as he looked up at me.

“Dating, huh?” he asked huskily.

“No,” I shook my head. “This is a work thing.”

“Then I'll see you when you get home.”

He stood to his full height and took a step back from the door, pulling me along with him. He dropped a kiss below my ear and unlocked the door, slipping through it and leaving me alone. I let out a deep breath and collapsed into a crouching position.

“I won't be able to deny him forever. I don't _want_ to deny him forever,” I said to myself.

After checking my neck in the mirror, oh … _my_ … _God_ , I looked like I got punched in the throat, I made myself presentable. Pulling up my collar before leaving the bathroom, I headed back to the counter where Hangeng was waving me over.

“So I have a deal for you,” he started as he crossed his arms and braced them against the counter to lean on them. “Since you have to settle your roommate's bill anyway, why don't you just head home and we'll call it even? You're not leaving _that_ early and he owes more than you'll earn by staying. I won't take no for an answer. Go home and finish what you guys started in the bathroom. Nice hickey.”

“Hangeng,” I whined as I stomped my foot like a child.

“I said no buts, now go. Wookie has your tips. Go, have fun.”

Really? _Really?_ Just how much had Kyuhyun ordered while he was here? Scratch that. I didn't want to know. I was already beginning to learn how much he could eat. Wookie came up to me, fishing around in his pocket. He handed over my tips and leaned closer to whisper to me.

“Where did you _find_ that guy?” he asked expectantly with raised brows.

“I didn't. He kinda found me.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	12. Under the Cover of Darkness

I walked up the stairs of the apartment, not looking forward to facing Kyuhyun after what happened at the cafe. Once I reached the hall of my floor, a head poked out of one of the units and turned to look at me.

“Hey, Leeteuk.”

It was Kibum. He lived on the same floor as me and Siwon only on the other end of the long hall.

“Hello, Kibum, how are you?”

“Fine as always. Say, do you know there's a dude in your apartment?” he asked as he stepped out of his apartment to stand with me in the hall.

“Yeah. New roommate.”

His eyes grew wide in surprise. “No kidding?”

I nodded as I glanced down the hall to my door.

“You got a cat, too?”

“They were a package deal,” I mumbled.

“He was mighty angry when you left for work. He was screaming like you wouldn't believe.”

“Oh, I believe it. He showed me how angry he was.” I raised my hand to show him kitty Kyu's handiwork. “Have a good night, Kibum.”

“See ya.”

He raised a hand in a parting gesture and I walked away towards my door. I stood outside it for a while. There were no noises coming from the other side. What would I find in the apartment beyond? A kitten? An angry human? An angry kitten? I couldn't really place what his mood had been when he left me in the bathroom. Letting out a breath through my puffy cheeks, I grasped the handle and turned it slowly. Kyuhyun had left the door unlocked. I slipped in quietly and closed the door by leaning back against it, twisting the lock gently.

It was pitch black in the rooms beyond. I couldn't even make out the kitchen table I knew was directly to my right. I toed off my shoes as I squinted through the darkness. Where was Kyuhyun? Did I want to call out to him? Let him know I was home early? I cupped my hand over the hickey on my neck and thought back to the employee bathroom. Heat flooded my face and traveled through my body.

“K-Kyu?” I called out tentatively.

I heard a shift ahead of me diagonally to the right, just on the other side of the kitchen table near the entrance to the living room. Taking a giant step to the right, I entered the kitchen. My heart was pounding in my chest and I reached out blindly until my hands grasped the table. I felt eyes on me as I emptied my pockets of my keys, wallet and phone.

“Kyuhyun. You're scaring me. Why's it so dark?”

A dark figure moved in the shadows in front of me. It was Kyuhyun. I already knew what it felt like to have his eyes on me. I backed into the fridge as he stalked closer. It was unnerving not being able to see his face. I couldn't tell if he was angry or happy to see me earlier than expected.

“Are you … are you angry with me?” I whispered as I brought my injured arm to my chest protectively.

“Now why would you think that?”

His voice held no clues to his emotional state.

“Because I won't … I won't … with you. And today at the cafe. Sungmin and his flirting. What happened in the bathroom.”

“So you agree he was flirting?”

He was about a meter from me now, standing near the middle of the kitchen table.

“Kyuhyun, please. Tell me what you're feeling. I can't see your face,” I whispered.

“I can see you just fine,” he purred. “Kitty thing.”

That wasn't fair in the least. I raised my good arm to splay my hand against his chest as he stepped closer, feeling the muscle beneath his shirt blindly. I wasn't pushing him away. Simply wanted to be sure of where he was in proximity to me. His large hands wrapped around my waist and I felt him fiddling with the ties of my apron.

“Kyuhyun-”

“Don't you dare start spouting that dating bullshit. You _wanted_ me in that bathroom earlier. You want me now,” he growled sexily.

His words spiraled straight down my spine.

“My body doesn't control me,” I retorted even as I sensed him untying the strings.

He pulled the garment away from my body to place it, I assumed, on the table along with my things. Untucking my shirts gently, his fingertips grazed along the skin of my midriff and I gasped audibly. I flexed my hand against his chest as he leaned down. His warm breath wafted over my cheek before his lips brushed mine. His hands slipped under my shirt to grip my waist, thumbs rubbing over my hipbones.

“Kyuhyun, I can't.”

My lips grazed his as I spoke.

“Why not?” he whispered back.

There was slight anger in his voice.

“You _know_ why. I'm not going to change my values just because you're … you're-”

“Just because I'm what?” he asked bemusedly.

His lips roamed elsewhere as I tried to form words. Placing butterfly kisses on my cheeks, the tip of my nose, the line of my jaw before pulling my shirt aside to drop kisses along my shoulder. He started unbuttoning my shirt while I was pleasantly distracted.

“I'm not going to offer myself up to you on a platter just because I find you attractive.”

“I don't need the platter. Keeping sex from me just because you feel you can't trust me isn't fair to me nor my libido.”

“That's not the reason,” I replied defensively as he pushed my dress shirt off my shoulders and tossed it aside, leaving me in my white undershirt.

“Then what is? The label of dating?” he recited, continuing to seduce me with his lips and tongue. “Tell me. What do you gain with such a label? Security? Reassurance?”

I moaned my reply as he cradled the back of my neck with one hand and wound his arm around my waist to pull me closer to his lithe body, his mouth finding a sweet spot below my ear.

“If you're worrying about coming off as a slut, don't. I won't tell anyone.”

“Kyuhyun!” I pouted, stomping my foot for added affect.

“If you have a different explanation, I'm all ears.”

I whined at my inability to think coherently while his fingers and mouth roamed over my body. I didn't stop him as his fingers undid the button of my pants and slid down the zipper. My body grew eager at the sound of the zipper grating down the teeth of my pants.

“How far are you willing to go with someone you aren't dating? I'm living with you, so that must count for something. Surely this is okay so far. Kissing is obviously free game. I bet you consider oral to be sex so you won't let me suck you off.”

My face grew hot and I whimpered at his dirty words. I bit my bottom lip as his hand slid into the confines of my pants to wrap around my half erect member. He used his free hand to grab my arm with the scratches and bite he inflicted earlier that morning. I felt his teeth graze the skin around the bandages as he ripped them open. The torn bandages fell to the floor between us. I didn't understand his actions.

“Ah! Uhn! Kyuhyun!”

He gripped my cock tightly as his tongue lapped at the dried blood of the wounds. It was that mixture of pleasure and pain that could drive a person crazy. The hand fisting my fully hardened dick was all pleasure, thumb sweeping the head before applying pressure over the slit. I grasped his wrist just to have something to hold on to. His tongue working against my injuries was both pain and pleasure. The wounds stung but he was really good with his tongue and lips.

“Kyuhyun. Ow!”

“Just tell me to stop and I will. I'm not one for forcing myself on someone who doesn't really want it. Then again, it's hard to believe you don't when you're so hard and your body is craving me so badly.”

My nails dug into the flesh of his wrist as he drew two of my fingers into his searing mouth. His wet muscle swirled around and between them. I groaned, rocking my hips into his hand, seeking more of the pleasure he was more than willing to give.

“That's right,” he breathed into my ear. “Just give in.”

He released my saliva covered hand and I rested my forearm on his shoulder. Pushing my pants down lower on my hips, he freed my dripping member and grabbed it with both hands.

“Ah ...”

One hand pumped the shaft while the other traveled down to pull and tug at my sac.

“Kyu!”

A jolt coursed through my body as his hands teased and toyed with me. I couldn't take it any more. I felt the last of my resolve breaking and I pulled him to me roughly, blindly forcing our lips together. I assumed he used his heightened vision to make sure we lined up properly. I moaned into his mouth as he sucked on my tongue hungrily. My body jerked and twitched erratically as my release rose higher to the surface. Kyuhyun nibbled on my bottom lip and I whined in pleasure. My toes began to curl against the wood of the floor and I felt my muscles contract. I broke away from him to warn him.

“Kyuhyun … I'm clo- … uhn … don't sto-”

What he did next, I wasn't expecting at all. He dropped to his knees before me and although I couldn't see, I was sure his mouth was open and waiting. The mental image sent me over the edge. My hands gripped his hair harshly as I spilled myself into his mouth.

“Ah … ah!”

One of his large hands milked me of every drop while the other held my hip in place as I rode out my orgasm. He swallowed loudly. Jerk probably did it just so I could hear him. I gasped and arched into him when he pulled the head of my softening cock into his hot mouth to wipe away any left over traces with that devilish tongue. He pulled away with a lewd pop.

“I'll have you writhing beneath me in no time,” he stated confidently.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	13. As Time Goes By

I wasn't naive. I knew Kyuhyun wouldn't be satisfied with hand jobs in conspicuous places when he had other, more carnal things in mind. A few days went by without a problem. On the days I had work, he allowed me to get dressed without throwing a fit. He would always show up at some point during my shift to sit and watch me. I don't know why, but he never sat in my section. I was slightly offended he wouldn't let me wait on him. His mood would turn drastically sour whenever Sungmin decided to show up. During those times, Yesung, Ryeowook or whoever's section he was occupying would bring him a brownie or some other treat to distract him. It was warming how my coworkers were learning how he operated. It was even easier to distract him if it was a day he decided to bring my laptop along so he could play his game. I still hadn't set anything in motion as far as a second job was concerned and Sungmin never brought it up. During my breaks and lunch I would sit with him and we would talk. He would stay until my shift was over and we would walk home together.

If it was a day I wasn't working, we would lounge around the apartment together. On these days, I would help with chores. We would do the dishes together, I would wash and rinse while Kyuhyun would dry and put them away. Folding laundry together became a guilty pleasure of mine and I wasn't sure why. We would go to the market to shop for groceries to refill the cupboards and fridge. If no chores needed to be done or we finished and needed something to do, there were many options. If Kyuhyun wanted to play on the computer, I would sit on the floor of the office and color while listening to him yell obscene profanities at the screen, causing me to blush for a good portion of the time.

We would talk but wouldn't bring up the unmentionable topics: my past with Kangin, his past at all. I found out through our little question game that he had been with only three guys total. I was surprised the number was so low. His favorite color changed by the day and there seriously wasn't anything he wouldn't eat. I admitted to liking white just because it was simple and went with everything. He didn't believe me at first, thinking it was too easy of an answer and there was no reason why I could've have answered the first time he asked. I merely shrugged him off. It was the truth, take it or leave it. He still refused to tell me why he liked color so much even though I asked each time. Women always irked him, claiming they were too clingy and whiny and breasts freaked him out especially large ones. Since breasts freaked him out, he didn't even mention the other part of the anatomy that belonged to women. I could see the shiver overtake his body just from thinking about it. He never shared his body with a woman and never planned to. I couldn't help but smile at his childishness during the course of that conversation. He was squeamish the whole time.

My favorite part about those days wasn't just learning some of his quirks and getting a peek into who he was, but the fact that he opened up in another way. His humming turned into actual singing of words under his breath. It wasn't always when other noise could drown him out. He did it softly so I had to strain to hear him but he didn't stop even if I walked into the room. I would stand or sit still and simply listen until he was through.

Yeah, those several days went by without even a single kiss. No more shower spying. Though we did sleep in the same bed. It was inevitable that minor cuddling would ensue. He hadn't pressed the issue after that night in the kitchen, which took me by surprise seeing as how he claimed to having me writhe beneath him in no time flat. That's why I should have known this was coming, should have seen it from a mile away. That he would finally snap. The explosion took place a little over a week after the kitchen incident. I worked an opening shift that morning and came home around three in the afternoon. Kyuhyun was sitting at the kitchen table fuming when I stepped through the doorway. His hands were clenched into fists on top of the table and he was staring down at them intently.

“Leeteuk,” he growled by way of greeting as I stepped into the kitchen after removing my shoes.

“Kyuhyun,” I said cautiously. I could tell he was pissed, body trembling in his seat and I wasn't yet sure of the reason. The last week had gone by with considerable ease. I guess we were do for a fight.

“I've become quite … frustrated … lately,” he spoke slowly through his teeth.

Ah. _Now_ I saw where this was going. _Sexually_ frustrated.

“Oh?” I asked innocently as I began undoing the buttons of my shirt and untying my apron. “Why's that? I left you plenty of food from last night's leftovers.”

“You _know_ why,” he seethed, glaring up at me through his bangs.

I held my ground even though I found myself a little frightened at his temper.

“And so do you.”

“I _won't_ force you to sleep with me.”

“I appreciate that,” I sniffed stubbornly as I pulled the apron off.

“Alright! We're dating!”

“Don't say it just because you want sex,” I scolded with narrowed eyes.

He followed me into the bedroom and watched as I changed into more casual clothes. He was too busy being annoyed to notice my mild nudity.

“How should I prove I'm being genuine then?” he sighed. “Doesn't it feel like we're dating?”

“Figure it out,” I shrugged, pulling on a pair of faded jeans.

“That's not fair! I can't whisk you off on dates! I don't have money!” he complained before collapsing backward onto our bed.

I got enjoyment from referring to things as “ours”. Our apartment, our room, our bed.

“It's not about money,” I assured him.

He spent the rest of the day in kitty form, refusing to play with me or even occupy the same room. He would flee immediately upon my entry and it would be hours before I would find him again. He didn't switch back into human form for dinner. Kyuhyun didn't come to the bedroom that night either, starting the first of several lonely nights.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

As more time went by, he still refused to be human or share a room with me. He didn't spend meal times with me but I always made enough for two and even a little extra knowing Kyuhyun's appetite. I figured he ate his portion at night when I was asleep. He still didn't come to bed with me and I always woke up to find the containers empty, washed and put in their proper place in the cupboards. Of course there was no playing with him in kitty form and I fell back into my introverted routine of work and cleaning. It was lonely, but I knew he would give up eventually. I _hoped_ he would give up eventually.

I used my new free time to catch up with my friends: Donghae and Eunhyuk, Heechul, Ryeowook. Just as I figured, Donghae and Eunhyuk were shocked that I not only had a new kitten in my life, but also a new roommate. They requested to meet him immediately, giving us an open invitation to come over for dinner whenever we had the chance. They both fought for control of the phone as they asked questions about Kyuhyun. I laughed at their excitement and told them I'd let them know ahead of time of when we would be free to visit them at their apartment. They were an adorable couple and I envied what they had. They were my friends from school and we were always together growing up. I saw early on that they were perfect for each other. They were both too blind to see it. Finally, after graduating, it all fell into place. Donghae confessed after the ceremony not really knowing what he was doing but claiming it felt right. The words had just tumbled out of his mouth. Eunhyuk had accepted straight away and poured out his own heart. It had all ended in a tangle of tears and arms as they hugged and laughed together. Not long after that, they were moving into an apartment together with my help.

Heechul said it was about time I got myself laid. I tried to explain to him that the deed hadn't actually been done yet, just the once but that it didn't really count. He merely brushed me off and starting asking intimate questions about Kyuhyun and our relationship. Was he the best I'd had? Bigger than Kangin? Any secret kinks? It was safe to say that the phone conversation hadn't lasted long. He said he would come over sometime to meet the new kitten and would maybe even bring his own cat over so they could play together. I didn't know how well that would work, but figured I had enough time to run it by Kyuhyun once he turned human again.

Ryeowook was the one that contacted me. His words jumbled together as he told me that Yesung finally asked him out on a date and that he was nervous yet excited but he didn't know what to wear or how he should act and and and... I finally calmed him down and told him Yesung wouldn't care in the least what he wore, he would just be happy to see him in something other than work clothes. Of course he should just be himself, obviously doing so had already attracted Yesung to him and he just had to follow through. He thanked me profusely and promised to tell me how it went before hanging up.

The weather was growing cold and I was worried that once Kyuhyun decided to walk around on two legs again, he wouldn't have the right clothes to keep him warm. I hatched a plan one day before I left for work and hoped he took the bait while I was gone. I left some money on the coffee table with a note saying he should go out and buy some more clothes, warm clothes. His colorful t-shirts just wouldn't do even if he put them all on at once. When I returned home from work that night, the money and note were gone and Kyuhyun was still nowhere to be found. I wasn't worried that he left with no intent on coming back. I was used to coming home and not seeing him. I was used to not seeing him. Walking into the bedroom, I peeked into the closet to find that he had taken my offering and had purchased some colorful hoodies and long sleeved shirts. I opened the drawers I had given him to find sweat pants and more pajama bottoms. I smiled to myself, happy that I wouldn't have to worry about him freezing to death when winter finally hit us.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

I woke up one morning a few days after leaving him money to buy warmer clothes to find him curled up on a pillow on the couch. At least he didn't run from the room when he saw me step in. Seemed he was loosening up a bit finally.

“Kyuhyun,” I whined as I padded over to him quickly.

His ears perked up in interest. I usually reserved his full name for when he was human and he knew that, but I wanted to get his attention.

“How long are you going to punish me? Come on. I miss you.”

He turned away and licked at his paw busily. I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes. I lunged and scooped him up into my hands, sweeping him up to hold him above my head so I could peer up into his face. He hung limply in my hands and closed his eyes so he didn't have to look at me.

“I know I wanted a kitten and all, but I like your human side, too,” I cooed before rubbing my face against the fur of his chest.

He mewled quietly and I didn't know if it was him protesting or not. Either way, I pulled away and laid down on the couch to place him on my chest. He didn't make to move so I rubbed under his chin with my fingertip.

“Come on, KyuKyu. I miss your voice and wry humor. I miss sleeping next to you and eating with you, doing laundry and the dishes. I miss hearing you yell at the computer. The guys at work think you've left me since you don't come around anymore.”

His eyes snapped open so he could look at me.

“Don't you miss me?” I whispered as I pouted sadly.

It kind of hurt that he was able to stay in kitty form for so long and dodge my every move. Didn't he care that he had been avoiding me? Didn't he miss being around me on even some small level? I hoped so. I gasped as a naked male body was suddenly pressing me into the cushions of the couch.

“Kyuhyun,” I smiled as he glared down at me.

I couldn't help it. I even missed his glare. Call me crazy. I reached up to hold his face between my hands just to further solidify the fact that he was actually human. I tried to ignore the fact that he was completely naked.

“If you miss the human me you should miss _all_ of me,” he growled.

He grabbed one of my hands and forced it down between our bodies. My eyes widened as he forced my hand to cradle his manhood. I tried to pull away but his crushing hold on my wrist kept it locked in place. I felt the flesh stir under my touch and a blush crept up my neck.

“How can I miss _that_? I haven't even experienced it,” I stammered.

“Exactly. Let me help you experience it.”

“Kyuhyun,” I drew out his name in annoyance.

Yes I missed him, but I didn't miss this argument.

“This is frustrating, Leeteuk. You won't have sex with me because we aren't technically dating, even though we obviously are. I _say_ we are dating and you don't believe I mean it or want it.”

I bit my lip as I looked up into his eyes. There was something there I hadn't seen before, something I couldn't quite place. He released my wrist and pulled away from me to stand up, back facing me. My eyes roamed down his scarred back and over the curve of his behind. My eyes flicked upward once I saw him move. He spoke over his shoulder without looking at me.

“Yes, I miss you.”

He walked away and down the hall.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was back to kitty Kyu after that, though he was able to stand being in the same room as me. I couldn't take it anymore. I was miserable. I slept fitfully if at all. I lost my appetite but continued to cook so Kyuhyun had something to eat while I was gone or stowed away in the bedroom by myself. At night, I turned on the light show he had gotten me and watched the orbs flow across the room as I wished for sleep. It hardly ever came and when it did it wasn't refreshing enough. I could see dark circles forming under my eyes when I glanced in the mirror. Ryeowook, Hangeng and Yesung were worried I was slipping into my old ways, afraid that Kyuhyun really had left me. He might as well have, he wasn't around. Not really. Not in the way I needed.

He seemed worried in his own way though. He would actually approach me now, would nudge my face with his head. I would pet him with a smile on my face, happy to have his attention but it wasn't the attention I _craved_. I was sluggish, didn't have the energy I used to. Didn't have the will to do anything but chores and work. I didn't know what he wanted me to do, what he was waiting for and it _frustrated_ me. Redness joined the bags of my eyes once the crying started. I did it in the shower so the running water could drown out my sobs. I shut the door to help kill the noise. I wasn't fooling him though. I noticed the claw marks on the door a few days after the crying started. If he wanted in so badly, I hadn't locked the door. He could have easily entered if he would just turn. I wouldn't have pushed him away.

I found myself exhausted since I was sleeping so poorly. I came home one day after a morning shift and collapsed on the sofa. Sleep pulled me under and I napped for as long as my body allowed. I opened my eyes dreamily a couple hours later to find Kyuhyun curled up on my chest taking his own little catnap. Tears sprung to my eyes instantly and I bit my lip to keep the whimpers under control. My heaving chest betrayed me and woke him. He lifted his head and peered at me to see what was the matter. His eyes grew larger when he saw the tears rolling down my face. He stood to his feet and padded up my chest to lick at my face. I sobbed freely as he wiped my tears away.

“Why are you doing this to me?” I whispered. “What do you want me to _do_?”

He meowed at me and it sounded like a cry of his own.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	14. The Whole Story

If Kyuhyun was going to stay in his kitty form for a while I would use that time to slowly introduce his kitty self to the important people in my life. Not to mention, human contact might do me some good at the moment. It was too short of notice to get hold of Donghae, Eunhyuk or Ryeowook so I decided to start closer to home. I gave Kyuhyun a warning of what I was up to.

“Fine. If you're gonna stay kitty, I'm gonna introduce you to people so they know you exist. Siwon first. And play nice,” I mumbled to him.

He meowed in reply as his tail swished back and forth in front of his paws. I invited Siwon over in case he wasn't alright with a kitten having free reign of his apartment. His eyes widened when he took in my disheveled appearance but he was kind enough not to comment on it.

“So this is the little guy, huh? I was beginning to think he was all talk! He's a cutie!” he declared with his fists on his hips, smile on his face. “Does he bite?”

I shifted nervously.

“Well, he likes to bite _me_. I haven't had him around others yet. Maybe you shouldn't risk it.”

He crouched down on the couch to get a better look. A hint of a smile touched my face as Kyuhyun tilted his head as he looked back at Siwon.

“What's his name?”

“Kyu,” I answered without thinking.

“That's strange. Isn't your roommate's name 'Kyuhyun'?” he glanced at me from over his shoulder.

“Um, yeah, well. It's his kitty and he named him after himself. I call him KyuKyu to help differentiate,” I lied quickly. Thankfully he went for it.

He lowered himself the rest of the way to the floor still facing the couch.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“Water would be perfect,” he replied cheerily.

I made my way to the kitchen to grab two bottles of water from the fridge. I took a seat on the floor next to him and placed the bottles on the coffee table.

“So where's Kyuhyun?”

I glanced over at Kyu with a sad look.

“I dono. He was out when I woke up,” I replied. I figured it was the best excuse even if the real Kyuhyun had been gone for far longer than just a morning.

He grabbed his water bottle and turned to face me eagerly.

“So tell me honestly. He's more than your roommate, right?”

“I guess. A little bit,” I mumbled shyly.

I should've known better than to invite Siwon over. Now he would want to talk and get all the details. I just figured I should prove I had a kitten in my possession so he didn't ask questions later. Kibum wouldn't need proof. He liked to keep to himself mostly. Hearing kitty Kyu's cries had been proof enough for him.

“I'm so proud of you. Out and dating again. It's been so long.”

“We aren't dating. Not really.”

I took a swig of my water to wet my dry mouth.

“Why not?” Siwon frowned.

I glanced up at Kyuhyun to see he was looking straight at me, as if he was also looking forward to my answer.

“He doesn't want a label. No, I guess that's not really true. To be honest, I don't really know,” I sighed as I scrubbed at my face with my hands.

“Does he know about Kangin?”

He had asked it gently but I still flinched. I heard a thump on the table and looked up to see Kyu trotting over to me. I leaned closer once he craned his neck toward me and meowed, batting at the air gently. Rubbing his head against my cheek, I smiled.

“Yeah. He knows about him,” I answered Siwon.

“Does he realize how hard it must've been to open up to someone new? How long you locked yourself away from society? The damage it caused you? No offense, Teukie, but does he see you when he's here? I didn't want to say anything but you look dreadful. Just like back then. I don't know what's going on between you two but you guys need to figure it out and soon. Does he know how bad it was? Where you ended up? How you almost di-”

“I'm sure he has his own problems to sort out as well,” I said quickly to cut him off.

I lifted a hand to run it down Kyu's spin. He arched his back into my touch and began to purr idly.

“He seems to like you,” Siwon grinned, changing the subject. “Was it hard for him to adjust to you?”

“He had his moments. We're still working on it.”

I lifted my left arm for emphasis. The bite on my hand and scratches on my inner wrist had left very faint, pale scars. I didn't mind. Siwon nodded in understanding. He left shortly after that, needing to leave for work. I needed to get ready for my closing shift as well. I expected to find Kyuhyun in kitty form after seeing Siwon out but found him naked standing in the living room instead.

“What did he mean by 'where you ended up'?” he questioned me immediately upon my reentering the room.

“Kyuhyun,” I breathed in shock at seeing him in human form after so long. Tears prickled the corners of my eyes but I held them back

“Answer me,” he pressed gently, no doubt seeing the emotion his transformation had already brought bubbling to the surface.

I could read the concern on his face. I wrapped my arms around my torso protectively to keep myself together.

“You already know,” I told him. “He really broke me when he left.”

“You're not telling me the whole truth. What damage besides the obvious? Where did you end up? What did you cut him off from saying?”

“I … I closed in on myself after my friends helped me move. I didn't eat, _couldn't_ eat. I could barely sleep, the nightmares drove me crazy. I got sick. Pale, skinny, weak. I kind of just gave up. I ended up in the hospital with tubes down my throat because Donghae and Eunhyuk found me collapsed on the floor of my bedroom. It doesn't matter. It's all in the past. It's over with.”

“All in the past? I'm looking at that right _now!_ Leeteuk, did you almost _die_?”

“It … my condition got serious but it was never … I didn't mean to … It's not like I tried to commit suicide or anything! My nerves were just so raw I couldn't keep food down so I just didn't eat. Once my friends admitted me, I got better.”

“Whoever these friends of yours are, I want to meet them.”

“Really?” I asked in surprise.

“Yes. And you better make sure you eat at work today. I need you to fatten back up. Get some color back in your cheeks. Don't you dare give up on me now.”

He hovered around my heels in kitty form as I got ready for work. I was mildly saddened that he had gone back to four legs, but I was growing used to it. _Too_ used to it.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

I trudged up the stairs of the apartment late that night, just having gotten out of work. It was the first time I wished for an elevator in the complex. Hangeng had insisted I go home to get some rest. I knew he was avoiding saying how miserable I looked, trying to spare my feelings. He didn't need to tell me I looked awful. I could already see it every time I looked in the mirror. I dropped my keys as I tried to insert the right one into the lock. I bent over to pick them up before trying again.

Something was different as soon as I stepped into the entryway. The glow of the hallway light filtered into the kitchen. Kyuhyun had never left a light on. Kittens couldn't reach the light switch. I pulled off my shoes as hope swelled in my chest, eyes never leaving the warm glow of the light. I dropped my items on the kitchen table absently before padding down the hallway. The bedroom door was open a crack and I held my breath as I slowly pushed it open with my hand. My heart skipped a beat as I saw Kyuhyun laying in bed. Our bed. In human form. The light dome was switched on and filling the room with an array of colorful dots. The blanket was pulled up to his waist and he wasn't wearing a shirt. One of his arms rested above his head while the other was draped across his middle.

I switched off the light of the hallway and slipped into the room, shutting the door quietly behind me. I moved quickly so I could take advantage of his sleeping figure. I removed my work clothes and left them on the floor, not even bothering with pajama pants, I didn't want to risk making more noise by pulling open one of the dresser drawers. I tiptoed to my side of the bed and slid under the covers, turning onto my side to face him. Surely he had expected this? Unless he had just been taking a nap while I was gone and hadn't woken up in time to sneak back out. I snuggled up to his side, head resting under the elbow of the arm laying against the pillow above his head. I breathed in his musky scent and melted into the mattress. I raised an arm tentatively before gently resting it across his chest. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath, looking forward to the best night's sleep I'd had in months.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	15. Wake Up Call

I woke up feeling the best I had in ages. Fully refreshed and ready to take on the day. I rolled over to an empty bed and frowned in disappointment. Grabbing his pillow I pressed it to my face and breathed in deeply while trying to fight the urge to scream as loud as I could.

“I don't know whether I should be flattered, worried or finding this adorable.”

I jumped before flinging the pillow away, jerking my head to the side to face Kyuhyun. He was standing in the doorway with only his pajama pants on, a plate in his hand.

“Kyuhyun,” I whispered up at him with wide eyes, amazed to see him still on two legs.

He flashed me his charismatic smirk before stepping into the room and crawling into bed next to me.

“I made you breakfast. Tried to make you breakfast. We need to get you back on the path of healthy, though my cooking probably isn't the best kicking off point.”

I glanced down to find a mound of scrambled eggs piled up in the center of the plate. They were a little brown but they weren't burnt. Sliced up hot dogs were scattered throughout the yellow bits. I glanced back up at him as I took the plate from his hands.

“Aren't you going to eat?”

“You kidding? I'm gonna wait for you to cook,” he scoffed. “That can't be edible.” He pointed down at the plate in my hands and shook his head vigorously.

I laughed for the first time in weeks, setting the plate aside on the bed and crawling into his lap, straddling him between my thighs. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. I smiled into his shoulder when he wound his arms around my body to rub his large hands up and down my back.

“Please tell me you're going to stay human for a while,” I breathed into the skin of his neck.

“Yeah. I'm not going anywhere for a good long while, unless you force me to meet more of your friends in kitty form,” he replied as he kissed my bare shoulder.

I debated on whether or not I should ask him what it was all about. Why he did it, avoided me for so long, stayed on four legs.

“Kyuhyun?” I asked cautiously.

“I'm sorry,” he replied quickly, cutting off my words. “I shouldn't have let things get so out of hand. Your health was diminishing right before my eyes yet I remained stubborn. Your crying and moping broke my heart and I wasn't there for you when you needed me, not in the right way. I tried to show I still cared, though, in my own way. I used the time to think, to try and find a way to prove I meant it when I said I wanted us to be dating, to get you to believe me.”

“I know you were worried. I picked up on it. I just didn't understand why you didn't turn and talk to me. You put scratches in the bathroom door when all you had to do was turn and come in,” I mumbled. “ About the label thing, we don't need one. If this isn't proof enough that we're in a relationship, I don't know what is. Our first fight is testimony enough, especially considering the immaturity of the topic. I just wanted you to see us as equal companions.”

“How can I do that when you're the only one bringing in money?”

“This has nothing to do with money,” I cooed as I ran my fingers through his hair, leaning back to gaze into his face. “I don't want you to think of me as your master, just like I don't think of you as my pet, I never did. Not after you turned human. In fact, I never want to hear the word master again.”

“Leeteuk.”

He always grabbed my attention when he said my name. It had been far too long since I heard his voice caress the syllables that belonged to me. My eyes widened in question.

“When was the last time I referred to you as my master? I'm pretty sure it was that first time I followed you to work. That was ages ago. Really, I don't know how long it was, having been kitty for too long. It's been a very long time since I thought of you strictly as my master. Even that day at the cafe I was only using it in a demeaning fashion,” he smirked.

“You're not pulling my leg are you?” I asked hopefully.

He reached up to cradle my face in his warm hands.

“Master no longer comes to mind when I think of you. Nor the person that feeds me.”

“You think of me?”

“Of course I think of you! And yes I've missed you this whole time too. I may have walked past the cafe's window a few times to watch you while you were working, keep tabs on you. Leeteuk, I thought of you as my master when you first took me in but that's because I didn't think our dynamic could _be_ any different. This is new for me too. I didn't really believe you would honestly and seriously want more from me, just like you didn't actually believe I would stay. You're my second … owner. For the first, I was simply a … pet, nothing more.”

I ignored the mention of his previous owner and latched on to the more important words that were coming out of his mouth. The fluctuations in his tone when he spoke of us and how he didn't think we could be anything more were dripping with emotion.

“Kyuhyun … what are you saying?”

I placed my hands over his as he grinned up at me. His thumbs stroked my cheeks.

“I'm saying I don't see you as my master, haven't for a long time. I see you as my roommate, partner, lover … _boyfriend_.”

My heart thumped loudly and a blush filled my cheeks as I inhaled through my parted lips, eyes growing in size as tears started to prickle along the edges.

“Are you giving this a label?”

“I most certainly am. And if you still don't believe me, tough shit,” he shrugged.

He leaned up to press a chaste kiss to my lips before pulling away. I was surprised he didn't push for more. He didn't even make a move that night before bed. He simply spooned up behind me and pulled me tightly against his chest after our long day of flirting and talking. I figured it was him further proving he hadn't said all those wonderful words just to get me naked. To be honest, I was still looking forward to that whole “writhing beneath me” comment.

 

 

Instead, he made his move the following morning.

I was just on the edge of consciousness. That wondrous place where you know you're awake but can still dream. I felt a warm tongue run up my inner thigh. Part of me thought I was having a highly inappropriate dream while a more intimate part was fully aware of what was going on. My hand moved of its own accord, tangling in the hair that belonged to the head that was between my thighs. I moaned as hands grasped under my thighs to push my knees to my chest. I was coming around now, head shifting from side to side on the pillow.

“Hn … Kyuhyun?”

“You're lucky you said _my_ name. Who else would be down here? I'll kill 'em.”

My back bowed against the bed and my mouth fell open in a silent cry as his searing mouth engulfed me all the way down to the base. My grip on his hair tightened when he stuck his tongue out along my shaft and took me down his throat to slather my sac with the devilish muscle.

“Oh God, Kyu,” I breathed.

He swallowed around me and pulled back up to drag the flat of his skilled tongue along the bulging vein on the underside of my cock. My breaths came in pants as he bobbed his head in my lap. I began to twitch and moan when he started to hum in appreciation at the taste of my precum. His large hands massaged the insides of my sensitive thighs and I gasped, pressing my head back into the pillow. He picked up his pace, sucking in harshly as his lips ran up and down my length, tongue swirling around the head and attacking the slit.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!” I keened.

One of his hands disappeared to roll my velvety pouch in his warm palm. The sensation of his sharp canines grazing my flesh along with my tip bumping against the back of his throat caused me to burst. I grabbed the spare pillow to cover my face and let out a muffled scream of his name. I felt bad that I hadn't been able to warn him, but he didn't seem to mind in the least. He groaned as he gulped, not letting up until I had softened completely. My chest heaved as I blinked up at the ceiling, hugging the pillow to my neck below my tilted chin.

“Kyuhyun,” I whispered as I moved the pillow back to its rightful place so I could glance down at him.

“Could get used to waking up like this?” he smirked up at me.

I nodded dumbly in reply. He ran his fingertips along the skin of my thigh and I shivered.

“So what do you want to do today?”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	16. Donghae and Eunhyuk

We decided to finally take up Donghae and Eunhyuk's offer of coming over for dinner. I still wasn't looking my best to go out and visit friends but there was already a major change in the color of my skin and the circles under my eyes. The bags were gone and only the darkness remained. Having Kyuhyun in the same bed as me once again was already working wonders on my complexion. I called the couple after our shower to see if they were available that evening. They were and seemed excited to have us over and to finally meet Kyuhyun. I decided to wait until we arrived to introduce him as my boyfriend and not just my roommate.

I was ready and dressed, laying on the bed while watching Kyuhyun figure out what to wear. He stood in front of our open closet with his hands on his hips, bottom lip folded between his teeth.

“So tell me about these guys,” he said as he pushed some of the hangers aside to give a shirt the once over.

“I grew up with them. We went to school together and we were inseparable. They started dating right after graduation. They're adorable together and it took them long enough to figure it out. I helped them move into their apartment and they helped me move into this one.”

“They were the ones that found you?” he asked softly, turning his head to glance at me.

I knew he was referring to the conversation the other day about my short time in the hospital. If it weren't for Donghae and Eunhyuk coming to check on me every day I may not have made it.

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“I like them already. How are they individually?”

“You know, whatever you wear is fine. Just dress warm,” I interjected.

“Fine, give me your sweater.” he turned to me expectantly.

“What?”

“Give me … your sweater. I wanna wear that one,” he pointed at me.

“It's too small for you,” I claimed, wrapping my arms around my tummy.

“No it's not. Give it to me. You wear this one. I'll have you dressing yourself in color in no time.”

He tossed me a blue hoodie from the closet and held his hand out for the white one I was wearing. I pouted as I pulled it up and over my head and tossed it to him. He pulled it on over his head as I pulled my arms through his blue sweater. It was a little big on me but not overly so. It was cozy and the sleeves ran a little long but it would work. Glancing up at Kyuhyun, I smiled at the sight before me. It wasn't exactly too small but it was definitely snug. If he lifted his arms I would surely get to see some tummy action.

“Answer the question,” he prompted as he sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his socks.

I flapped the sleeves of the hoodie in his direction as I carried on with my explanation.

“Eunhyuk's a dance instructor in town. Donghae's a teacher. They're both pretty goofy but Eunhyuk is even more so. He brings it out in Donghae. Eunhyuk will be the one with the gummy smile.”

“They seem harmless enough.”

“You'll be fine. They already know not to ask anything that doesn't really pertain to the present,” I assured him, still flapping the light blue sleeves playfully as I waited for him to get around.

“Would you stop being so adorable so we can go? I'm hungry.”

I stuck out my tongue and rolled off the bed.

 

 

The subway was crowded on the way to Eunhyuk and Donghae's apartment. I was smushed in the corner with Kyuhyun standing protectively in front of me. He was forced closer to me as more people boarded at our current stop. I braced my hands against his abs as I leaned against the wall to give him more room. Even though the compartment was so full, we still had privacy, everyone else too busy reading their newspaper or listening to their music. Nobody noticed us in our own little world stashed away in the corner. He slung an arm around my neck and secured his other hand to my hip as he shifted even closer. His head dipped down and I tilted my head up to him so I could hear what he had to say.

“You know? I never really cared for the subway until now,” he whispered into my ear.

I hid my smile in his wool coat.

 

 

Eunhyuk answered the door after I knocked and pulled me into his arms immediately upon seeing me. I was surprised initially by his response of seeing me but wrapped my arms around his back with a smile the next moment.

“Hyukkie … I can't breathe,” I gasped with a grin.

He jumped back and held me at arms length. I watched his smile fade as he took in my appearance.

“Teuk, you look awful. What's wrong?”

His eyes darted to Kyuhyun to narrow slightly, already assuming he was the cause. He wasn't exactly wrong but I didn't want to clue him in that he was right.

“I had the flu,” I replied, waving a hand through the air to prove it wasn't a big deal or even an issue anymore.

“You didn't sound sick on the phone when Hae and I talked to you,” he said in a tone insinuating I was making my illness up.

“That was ages ago. I caught it way after. Must've caught it from someone at the cafe. Couldn't keep anything down. Kyuhyun had to nurse me back to health. I figured Hae's cooking could help fatten me back up,” I smiled warmly.

He allowed my words to sink in as he continued to size Kyuhyun up. Kyuhyun merely widened his eyes to help prove his innocence. Eunhyuk's eyes softened and his lips split into a slow, gummy smile. He placed his hands on his hips as he swiveled his body to give Kyuhyun his full, undivided attention.

“You must be Kyuhyun,” he beamed.

Kyuhyun nodded and bowed slightly.

“I'm Eunhyuk. Why did you name your cat after yourself?” he asked curiously, smile still in place as he twisted his body from side to side as he waited for a reply.

Kyuhyun coughed into his fist as his eyes shifted to me. I shrugged as I waited for his explanation.

“Well … I didn't exactly name … him … after myself. His name is Kyu,” Kyuhyun justified.

“Short for Kyuhyun,” Eunhyuk pointed out.

“You two figure it out. I'm gonna go find Donghae.”

I clapped Kyuhyun on the back before striding past Eunhyuk and into the apartment. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw my boyfriend giving me pleading eyes. I stifled a laugh behind my hand and continued to the kitchen, following my nose. I stopped, a little evil plan forming before I even locked eyes on Donghae. Turning on my heel, I quickly paced back to Eunhyuk and placed my hands on his shoulders to lean my head over one of them.

“Eunhyuk? Play nice with my boyfriend, kay?”

“ _Boy_ friend?” he exclaimed in surprise. “When did … how did … you didn't …”

I released a laugh and sped off once more but not before catching Kyuhyun's defeated sigh and the small grin of wonder he sent my way. Almost as if he was amused at my giving Eunhyuk another topic to harass him about. Donghae was leaning against the island of the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest, apron donned, wooden spoon in hand and an excited grin in place.

“Did I hear Hyuk blow a gasket over meeting your new _boyfriend_?”

“Yes,” I replied quickly, excitedly.

“Are you wearing _blue_?”

“Yeah, Kyuhyun wanted to wear my white hoodie so we switched.”

“He has you in color! I like him already,” Donghae gushed. He pushed away from the island with his foot to envelop me in his arms. “This is great, Teuk. It's good to see you excited about someone again,” he pulled away to check on dinner. “But if he hurts you, I'll kill him.”

He tossed it in at the end nonchalantly as if asking me to pass the salt. I rolled my eyes playfully but my heart swelled at his protectiveness.

“You didn't bring the kitty?” He looked about my feet for a four legged creature.

“Uh, no. I figured it would be a good excuse to meet up again soon. You two can come over and I'll cook.”

“Kyuhyun doesn't cook?”

I grimaced, “It's best if Kyuhyun stays out of the kitchen unless he's eating or doing the dishes.”

Donghae's head whipped around to look at me, mouth hanging open.

“He does _dishes_?” he asked in shock.

“Yeah. He does the chores while I'm at work. Laundry, too,” I explained simply.

“You lucky _dog_. You keep that one or I'll hire him for myself.”

Eunhyuk was a neat freak but didn't like to do dishes or laundry. He just helped keep their apartment nice and tidy. The other two walked into the room to finally make an appearance. Donghae's eyes flashed to me after giving Kyuhyun the once over. I caught the secretive thumbs up he gave me behind his back as he made a “not bad” expression. I chuckled behind my hand as they introduced themselves. Kyuhyun was definitely a catch.

The evening went by better than I could have hoped. It was a good thing I had Kyuhyun meet Donghae and Eunhyuk before, say, Heechul. They were more easygoing and wanted nothing more than my happiness. Not that Heechul didn't want me to be happy as well. They figured that if Kyuhyun had already gotten through my defenses, he was one of the good guys. I wouldn't be so easily fooled again. Heechul, on the other hand, would be wary and doubtful for a long time until Kyuhyun passed his ridiculous tests and standards. I wasn't looking forward to that day. I knew it would involve many questions and shifty glares.

During and after Donghae's grand feast of a meal, Eunhyuk and Donghae took it upon themselves to direct the topic of conversation to stories of us growing up and going through school together. They took turns and spoke over one another as one story would bring another to the surface of memories. Some of them were embarrassing, causing me to blush in shame, only making Kyuhyun grin broader, but most of them were hilarious. Kyuhyun looked to be enjoying himself and I assumed he was just happy he wasn't answering a plethora of questions. We had moved into the living room after dinner. The hosting couple forced Kyuhyun and me to squish together on the loveseat while they sprawled out on the spacious couch. They took full advantage of the room though. Eunhyuk rested his elbow on the arm of the couch while Donghae laid on his back to sprawl over the rest of the cushions with his feet in Hyuk's lap.

“So how did you two meet?” Eunhyuk asked conversationally.

It was an honest inquiry, one new couples got asked all the time. I froze while trying to separate fact from fiction, picking out the facts I would use to weave into the story I would make up on the spot.

“At night. It was raining and Leeteuk found me soaked to the bone on the street and took me in. He was on his way home from work. He was stuck with me after that,” Kyuhyun smirked gently.

I blinked up at him curiously. My eyes dropped to my thigh as I felt his fingers press into it slyly, reassuringly. If he wanted to take over answering couple questions, that was fine by me. I swept my pinky over the back of his hand to let him know I understood. He flipped his hand over and snatched mine up to hold. A blush crept up my face and I shifted my eyes back to the couple lounging across from us. Both of their gazes were locked on our hands. Donghae was smiling with a quirked brow and Eunhyuk wore a look of surprise. Their eyes flitted to share a look between themselves before turning back to us.

“Why were you out in the rain?” Eunhyuk pressed on.

I was about to speak up to change the subject, the questions starting to get a little deep but a gentle squeezing of my hand had me sucking on the inside of my cheek.

“My old roommate kicked me out,” he replied with a shrug. His tone sounded believable, even I was falling for it.

“What did you do to get kicked out?” Donghae chuckled, already having learned that Kyuhyun had a slightly devious streak in his natural way of things.

“He came to realize he was allergic to KyuKyu. We're a package deal, so I left.”

“How sweet!” Donghae exclaimed. “Lucky Leeteuk found you.”

He must've planned answers to these sort of questions before our arrival. Once those initial questions had been addressed, normal conversation resumed. We stayed until Donghae began to drift off, the knuckles of his left hand brushing the floor. He taught early morning classes so staying up late wasn't part of his normal routine. Kyuhyun and I needed to catch the last train home anyway. Eunhyuk picked up Donghae's legs and slid forward on his cushion to place them back on the couch behind him. He walked us to the door as I thanked him for dinner and having us over. He chided me, telling me not to wait so long before meeting up again. Kyuhyun jumped in and claimed we could double date as frequently as they wished. My eyes bugged but Kyuhyun waved to Eunhyuk and whisked me away before I could utter a word on the matter.

“Bye, Hyukkie!” I called over my shoulder.

“I like them,” he grinned broadly as he pulled me along the sidewalk.

I smiled up at him, leaning into his side for a bit of extra warmth and just to get a tad closer. I knew he would like them. They were hard not to get along with. But they weren't the ones I was worried about. Heechul would be a whole different creature to tackle. I would worry more about it when the time came.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	17. Won't Do

When we returned to our apartment, I headed straight to the bedroom so I could change into pajamas. Kyuhyun was bustling around in the kitchen looking for a snack or something he could heat up from the many containers stacked in the fridge. I smiled to myself at his insatiable appetite while I kicked off my pants to pull on a pair of white basketball shorts. I quirked a brow and tilted my head to glance down at Kyuhyun's drawers. I tugged the upper one open to peer in at all his colorful options of pajama bottoms. They would run a little long on me but I was okay with that. I swapped the shorts for a pair of green pants instead. I grinned down at them as I stretched a leg out to get a better look. A yawn overtook me and I raised my arms into the air as my muscles contracted and fluttered. Fingertips danced over the expanse of my exposed tummy and I jumped.

“Those are mine, you know,” Kyuhyun purred into my ear as I felt his fingers pluck at the fabric draped over my thigh in indication.

His arm secured around my waist and he pulled me back against his chest. I lowered my arms and settled one over his own, hand closing over the top of his. His chin was resting on my shoulder and I moved my head marginally to look at him out of the corner of my eye.

“I paid for them,” I replied.

A shiver ran through my body as his hot breath moistened the skin of my neck and his strong fingers stroked my stomach.

“Color looks good on you. Maybe we can redecorate soon.”

“Baby steps, Kyuhyun,” I chuckled as I pat his hand comfortingly.

“All in good time.”

I felt his smile against my skin before he pressed his lips to my body. I tilted my head back to rest on his shoulder, allowing my eyes to slip closed.

“Do you work tomorrow?” he asked in a low tone.

I should buy a calendar to hang in the office to jot my schedule down for him. That way he knew my work hours from day to day and would know whether I was coming or going.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Mm … then I guess I should put you to bed,” he mused.

I arched as his tongue tasted the skin of my neck where he had kissed just moments before.

“Bed?” I asked dazedly.

His tongue was putting me into a trance and I was up for something a little more _adventurous_ than _sleep_. I didn't have a morning shift the following day so I didn't need to go _straight_ to bed.

“Nn,” he affirmed.

“You too?” I asked hopefully before capturing my lower lip between my teeth.

“Not tired.”

I felt his bangs brush my jaw as he shook his head slowly. Turning around in his hold, I glanced up into his dark eyes.

“Me neither,” I admitted shyly.

I didn't want to just come out and say I was ready for that writhing he had mentioned so long ago. Surely he had picked up on my hinting by now. Kyuhyun wasn't dense, especially where sex is concerned. He reached around me to switch on the colorful light display. I glanced up at the ceiling before settling my eyes back onto him. The light reflected off his dark hair, casting him in multiple hues.

“You trying to seduce me with those eyes, Leeteuk?” he smirked down at me.

Heat filled my cheeks and my eyes widened in the slightest. Called out. His long fingers hooked under the layers of my sweater and t-shirt, nails scraping my skin gently. He lifted the material and I raised my arms so he could pull them the rest of the way off, setting them down behind me on top of the dresser. Warm hands pressed to the small of my back and I shifted closer to him until my chest bumped against his. My white hoodie he had worn throughout the day was no longer adorning his lithe frame, standing before me in a red graphic shirt. I think it was making some reference to the game he always played on my laptop.

“What do you want?”

Oh goodness, was he going to make me narrate the whole thing? I was only vocal in the heat of the moment, when I was too overcome with sensation to hold my voice and sounds back.

“You're really going to make me spell it out? After all this time, this is how you get your revenge for me making you wait?”

“Indeed. You want it, beg for it.” His eyes flashed mischievously.

“Are you serious? You've been trying to get into my pants and now I have to explain what I want from you?” My tone was level, calm. I was honestly searching for answers.

“Yes. Besides, I already got into your pants this morning. Now it's time for teasing. It's been a while. I've been too easy on you,” he chided softly, lifting my chin with a finger. “Tell me what you want.”

He was enjoying himself entirely too much. I had no real experience in this area. Directing actions and having to partake in … dirty talk? … was not something I had dabbled with in the past. Kyuhyun was already the spiciest I had been with just from our first time on the floor of the bedroom and the encounter in the kitchen. Looked like I was in for a lot more flavor.

“You're getting some sick satisfaction out of seeing me squirm, aren't you?”

He nodded as he brought his hands up to my shoulders to cup the sides of my neck.

“You know what I want,” I mumbled, glaring up at him.

“I have an _idea_ ,” he said as he raised his eyes to the ceiling, face scrunching in mock thought, “But I can really only assume. Yeah, I got you to believe we are dating now, _finally_ , but that only means we've started the steps of sexual levels. We've already covered touching and oral. Maybe I'm moving too fast and you aren't ready for the next step?”

It was then that it dawned on me that Kyuhyun had yet to gain anything from any of our encounters. How was he so chipper and able to act playfully when he should still be sexually frustrated beyond comfort? An idea came to mind instantly. One that hopefully wouldn't require words on my part. Actions are louder, or so they say.

“Kiss me,” I ordered firmly.

He seemed impressed but demanding a kiss was nothing, child's play. I wasn't embarrassed over a kiss. He bent down to swipe his tongue along my bottom lip. I clutched the sides of his shirt as I closed my eyes. Kyuhyun pulled my face up to him and I stretched up onto my tiptoes to close the distance between us. His mouth moved hungrily against mine and I fought to keep up with his movements. I gave up and allowed him to devour my mouth, tongue mapping out every corner, running over my teeth before massaging my own. I moaned as he sucked on my tongue. The kiss was distracting me from my goal so I quickly jumped into action when I had the chance.

Shifting my feet forward against the wood of the floor, I forced him to inch back towards the bed. I hoped he wouldn't catch on to my thought process and if he did, I hoped he went along with it. I pushed down on his shoulders to force him to sit. He bounced once before settling on the bed, looking up at me with mild curiosity.

“Switching tactics?” he mused with a quirked brow.

“Take off your shirt,” I whispered down at him, a slight tinge coloring my cheeks.

I watched as he reached up behind himself to pull the back of his shirt forward over his head, tossing it into the white hamper stationed in the corner like a basketball. Kyuhyun didn't wait to see if I had more instructions for him. His arms reached out and grabbed my sides, forcing me to straddle his lap. His hot mouth closed around one of my collarbones and I wound my fingers through his hair to pull him closer to me. I could feel that he was already hard, length nudging against my own. I reached down between our bodies to palm him through his pants. His hips bucked up into my touch and he pulled away to fix me with his dark eyes.

“Leeteuk,” he groaned. It sounded something akin to a warning.

My blush grew more fierce as I voiced my concerns.

“You haven't yet. Not since that first night when I brought you home.” I slid back off his thighs to lower myself to the floor between his knees. His eyes never left mine as I changed my position. I glanced up at him through my lashes as I continued to rub my hand over his clothed erection. He reached forward to stroke my bangs back off my forehead, hand coming down to cup my cheek.

“You sure?” he asked me with a slight smirk.

“It's not my first time, Kyuhyun,” I pouted with narrowed eyes.

“I'm aware,” he said with a hard tone as if telling me he didn't want to think of me with others and not to bring it up again, “I just figure if you would admit what you wanted, we could do something we would both enjoy.”

“Who's to say I won't enjoy it?”

His eyes widened as I unbuttoned his jeans and lowered the zipper. I gripped the fabric covering his thighs and tugged with raised brows indicating I needed him to lift his butt if I were to continue. He raised his hips, palms implanted into the blankets and I pulled his pants down, unhooking them from his feet and setting them on the floor next to me. My eyes settled between his thighs on the tented fabric of his boxers. I leaned in closer, nuzzling my cheek against the warmth of his groin. I heard a startled gasp escape his lips and I glanced up at him. His dark eyes were looking down at me intently. I slid my hands between the opening in his boxers, wrapping my fingers around his rigid length and pulled it out. Deciding I didn't like not being able to see all of him clearly, I gestured he should remove them completely. They joined his pants on the floor next to me, leaving him as naked as the day he was born.

Kyuhyun shifted closer to the edge so I wouldn't have to lean as far to reach him. I wound my fingers around the base of his cock and gripped firmly, his skin searing hot under my touch. Moving the heel of my palm away so I could run the flat of my tongue up the vein protruding along the underside of his length, I put my hand back in place as I made my way up to his leaking head. I heard him hiss through his teeth as I dipped the tip of my tongue into the slit to lap up the precum collecting there.

“Leeteuk,” he growled.

I glanced to the side to see his hands fisting the sheets. I didn't know how much teasing he could take so I pressed forward. Lowering my jaw, I bent my head down and took as much of him down my throat as I could. I moaned at the feel of his weight against my tongue and the vibrations caused his hips to twitch. I moved my hands to his thighs to brace myself as I bobbed my head. He seemed to like it when my teeth nicked the sides of his cock, so I didn't try as hard to be careful to keep them away from his flesh. I dropped one of my hands to my lap, rubbing myself to take the edge off. I was aching for my own pleasure and figured Kyuhyun couldn't fault me for touching myself as I pleased him with my mouth. I brought my mouth back up and sucked harshly at his head before grazing my teeth back down, his tip bumping along the back of my throat. I lowered my pants down around my hips so I could fist myself. Heat burned my cheeks, but it wasn't totally out of embarrassment. I swept my thumb over the slit of my cock and felt the drop of precum spread along the head. I whimpered from around his cock and I heard him let out a heavy sigh.

“No, this won't do.”

Kyuhyun pushed me away from him and I wiped the back of my hand over my mouth as I gave him a worried look. He forced me up onto my feet, shoved my pants the rest of the way down and hauled me back into his lap. I grasped his shoulders so I wouldn't fall over and tossed my head back as his large hand squeezed our cocks together. He slid along me slightly, my saliva still coating him. I gasped and panted as his hand moved up and down around us. I lowered my forehead to his shoulder, thrusting shallowly into his hand. He bent his head down to capture one of my nipples into his mouth, closing his teeth around it harshly as his tongue flicked against it until it stood proud. The heat of his cock against mine was just too good. His other hand found its way into my mouth and I sucked on three of his digits eagerly. I wound my tongue between the space of his fingers as I held his wrist in place with one hand. He pressed his thumb firmly into the head of my cock and his fingers were removed when I let out a high pitched moan.

I found out a moment later where his lubed fingers had escaped to. I felt one slick digit circle my entrance and jumped at the contact, not expecting it. His hand squeezed around our cocks tighter as he continued to pump them. It was more slick, our precum mixing as it slid down to help lubricate the way.

“Ah! Kyuhyun!” I panted when one finger wedged its way inside of me.

He curled it, moving it around inside to help stretch me for another. My nails dug into his shoulders as the second slid in next to its brother. Scissoring them inside me, my body shuddered when his fingernails grazed along that delicious spot inside me. I bit into the fleshy part of his shoulder to keep from crying out too loudly, only managing to muffle the noise.

“Kyuhyun, I can't-”

My words were cut off as he used the two fingers already inside me to prod at that bundle of nerves. My hips jerked forward at an erratic pace, seeking more pleasure from his hand while I pushed back into his fingers looking for the same treatment from behind. I whimpered pitifully as I moved in his lap. My toes curled and I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt the waves of pleasure crash into me. Warmth moved up my cock until it burst from the head adding more fluid to our already lubricated laps. His hand kept its quick pace, milking me of every drop as he grunted at the nearness of his own release. I felt myself clench and unclench around his fingers as my body pulsed with gratification. I felt hot liquid splash against my stomach and glanced down to see white spurting from his hard cock to land on his hand and my belly. I looked up to see he was watching me. I blushed under his inquisitive stare and looked away, biting my lip as he slid his fingers out of me.

“Why didn't you let me finish?” I asked shyly. “Was it not good?”

“Oh, it was good,” he assured me with a scoff as he wrapped his arms around my waist to pull me closer. “I just couldn't handle watching you jerk yourself off while giving me head. Sensory overload. Plus, I wanted to have a hand in getting you off, pun intended, it's only fair.”

I ducked my head to hide my smile, “I'll get a towel.”

I made to slide off his lap but he flexed his arms to keep me in place.

“Just use my shirt,” he nodded to the floor to indicate the red one he had been wearing.

I glanced at him to make sure he was positive and bent down to pick it up as he tilted me back towards the floor. I offered it to him so he could wipe his hands clean first. He didn't give it back and cleaned us up himself. I was slightly irritated at myself for not being able to last longer. It had been a long time since anything had been inside me so it was understandable that my stamina wasn't up to par. Something we would have to no doubt work on.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	18. Breakfast

“Leeteuk." Warm breath purred into my ear.

I groaned and curled into a tighter ball in Kyuhyun's arms. I was playing the role of the small spoon and wasn't ready to give it up yet. Kyuhyun pulled me closer into his chest and buried his face in my neck, his dark hair tickling under my jaw.

“Leeteuk,” he whispered into my ear more seductively. “Time to get up.”

“No.”

He poked my cheek with a slender finger and I slapped his hand away, experiencing a sense of deja vu.

“Breakfast time.”

“You know, I never figured you as a morning person. It just doesn't seem to match up with the rest of you. Then I remembered you run off a food clock. Your stomach is the alarm. And cats nap all the time,” I mumbled tiredly.

“I rarely nap,” he corrected. “Food is needed and you need to get around for work anyway.”

“Don't want to,” I whined childishly. “Don't make me.”

“Hey, you wanna skip and stay home with me, I'm game.”

I sighed and kicked the blanket off of me, effectively exposing Kyuhyun as well. I shivered, forgetting I had gone to bed nude.

“I can't call in, we-”

“Need the money, I know. Are we hurting on that front?” he asked with a mild touch of concern.

“Not yet but I should talk to Sungmin about that second job.” His arms flexed around me protectively and I rolled my eyes. “Kyuhyun, relax. It's purely business. He just wants me to work for him in hopes of bringing him in more money. I fought for you how long? I'm not gonna throw it away. Besides, he's not at all my type. You're handful enough to keep me occupied.”

“Not your type? He's cute enough.”

I rolled to my other side, burying myself in his chest.

“You defending him now? I don't go for cute. Dark and mysterious. That's where it's at.”

“In other words, you want someone who will take control in bed,” he teased.

“That's a nice bonus,” I agreed through a lazy sigh

“You're much more candid in the morning. I should take advantage one of these times,” he mused as he lifted my chin with a fingertip.

“That's cuz it's too early. I don't know any better at this time of day,” I blinked up at him.

 

 

We took a long shower before breakfast. It was long because Kyuhyun couldn't keep his mouth or hands to himself. I knew what he was up to but was powerless to stop him, not to mention I wasn't against a little morning shower action. When you had such an attractive and horny boyfriend such as myself, why would you ever tell him no?

It was a repeat of last night, only this time his fingers came into the equation a lot sooner. He had licked the dripping water from my collarbones as his slender digits worked in and out of me. His other hand was between us, moving along our erections languidly. Kyuhyun had me pinned against the shower wall with the water spraying from my right. It didn't take long, especially with his tongue halfway down my throat checking to see if I still had my tonsils, before he brought me to the edge of euphoria to shove me over the next second. At least clean up had been easier and practically hands free. There was more kissing and heavy petting after that. The only thing that had us scrambling out of the shower was the lack of hot water.

Kyuhyun had a craving for French toast and he hovered around me like a hummingbird to watch my technique as I made his edible wishes come true. He played the role of my sous chef but I made sure to give him tasks he could handle. Grab the milk, fetch me some eggs, can you hand me the whisk? It didn't take long before the warm aroma of butter, cinnamon and maple syrup wafted through the apartment. Kyuhyun was practically drooling on my shoulder as he watched the slices of bread fry up.

“Cooking makes your more attractive. I haven't figured out why yet,” he stated as he watched me flip the slices of bread with his hands on my hips.

“Someone likes a domestic boyfriend,” I teased playfully, nudging him in the ribs with my elbow.

“It's surely a bonus. We'd die if we had to count on my cooking skills. You'd need to take on a third job to pay for all the takeout. I can whip up takeout like you would _not_ believe.”

“I should teach you some basics one of these days,” I suggested through a smile.

“No, I prefer your cooking.”

“I'll still cook,” I laughed, serving up the golden brown pieces of toast on a large platter and covering it with a paper plate to keep them warm. “It just might be helpful for you to know how to boil water without burning the place down.”

“I can boil water,” he grumbled, chin bouncing against my shoulder.

A few minutes later found us sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. He scarfed down three slices before slowing to a normal pace. I hadn't even finished one. It amazed me how he was such a fast, ravenous eater, yet he remained clean through the whole process.

“Question game?” Kyuhyun asked as he shoved a large piece of bread dripping with syrup into his mouth.

“Do you have any in mind?” I asked as I sipped at my glass of milk.

“No, you go first.”

I snorted into my glass as he put me on the spot. Some questions I had filed away for later floated to the surface, reminding me of things I was interested to know.

“Do you get along with other cats?” I questioned as I set my glass back down on the table.

He blinked up at me as he licked the syrup from his fingers cutely.

“That's a random one, why?”

“Heechul has cats. He mentioned something about bringing them over to play with you when he came to meet you, both human and kitty you.”

“I've only ever met other strays. I assume domestic cats would be easier to get along with. I honestly don't know, I guess we'll have to give it a try.”

“I should put something in the works to have him come over. He'll hear from Eunhyuk and Donghae sooner or later that they've already met you. Not a good idea to keep him out of the loop for long,” I said more to myself than to Kyuhyun.

“Why do you not seem excited for that?”

“Is that one of your questions?”

“Sure.”

I set my utensils down and rubbed at my temple with my fingertips.

“ _That's_ not reassuring.”

“There's a reason I had you meet Eunhyuk and Donghae first. Heechul isn't as inviting and won't trust or open up to you as easily. He'll have more questions and won't heed my warnings about not asking about your past. Those will probably be his opening topics. He won't take no for an answer. It's nothing against you. He still worries about me and doesn't want to see me hurt again.”

“So it will be a more intense, awkward meeting.”

I nodded solemnly with an apologetic grimace.

“Well it needs to be done. I have to get your friends to like me. If he's willing to give me the time to appeal to him, I'll have to use it to prove I'm not going anywhere and don't want to see you hurt either,” he shrugged.

Relief washed over me. He didn't seem worried in the slightest, so full of confidence. I hoped Heechul wouldn't be too hard on him, that he could see I was happy and that Kyuhyun had no intentions of ever hurting me. I wondered how long it would take for Kyuhyun to get through to him.

We continued our questions as we finished breakfast. I asked him what his favorite color was today. He couldn't decide between orange and yellow so he answered with “orallow”. He asked me what position I would choose to work at if I got a second job at one of Sungmin's restaurants. He had me stumped with that one. I hadn't really thought about it. I told him initially that anything would be fine, wherever they needed me most. He waved my answer away with a shake of his head and asked me again.

"What would you _most_ want to do?” he pressed.

He scooped up my empty plate to deposit it into the sink full of soapy water. I pursed my lips in thought as I crossed my arms and legs. I drummed my fingers along my bicep as I leaned back in my chair.

“Either bartending or being a waiter,” I decided.

“Why for each,” he continued, submerging his hands into the warm water to begin washing the dishes.

“Mixing different drinks is fun. I was a bartender at a bar before working at the cafe. I like serving because I get to interact with people and give them food. People are happy when you give them food.”

He chuckled at my reply, “Why did you stop working at the bar? I thought bartending was good money.”

“It is, but the atmosphere wasn't the best. Shady workers and customers. The bar was a real mess.”

He commented that he was glad I was working at the cafe. I agreed before he asked me for my next question. I frowned as one came to mind.

“Speaking of the cafe, why don't you ever sit in my section when you come? You're there to see me after all,” I huffed.

A smile spread his full lips as he answered, “You serve me food at home. You don't need to do it at work too. Besides, I don't need you doting and worrying about me as I watch you in your natural habitat.”

“That's a dumb reason,” I objected. “You sit in my section from now on. That way I can at least use my employee discount,” I grumbled.

“Hangeng let the others use theirs.”

“No excuses! My section from now on. Nobody gets to wait on you but me.”

He raised his hands in defeat, suds sliding down to his elbows as he fixed me with an amused smile.

“Yes, sir.”

Our game came to a close as he ushered me off to the bedroom to get ready for work. He went back to finish up the dishes after chasing me down the hallway. When I reemerged from the bedroom dressed for work, he assured me he would be in later and would sit at one of my tables. I informed him that I was working behind the counter with Hangeng today making drinks and that he would need to sit at the counter. He asked if there was an outlet for my laptop and I rolled my eyes with a nod. He kissed both my cheeks before pushing me out the door.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	19. Daring

The walk to work was pleasant, even if it was rather cold. I pulled my heavy coat around me tighter and scrunched my face down behind the zipper, lifting my shoulders up around my neck. I walked my usual route, practically knowing every crack in the sidewalk by heart. Passing by other pedestrians, poles tacked with multicolored flyers, bicycle messengers, I thought to myself. I wouldn't envy being a bike messenger, especially during the winter months. I wondered what Kyuhyun did at home while I was at work. Did he ever turn kitty and play with the toys I got him? If so, it wasn't fair that I didn't get to witness that adorableness.

I entered the cafe through the front entrance. Yesung raised a hand in greeting as he manned my usual section, the left side of the main lobby. Ryeowook waved eagerly from near the kitchen window, dropping off a food order. He mimed with his hands, mouth and eyebrows that he had something to tell me. I gave him the thumbs up and a nod signifying I understood his cryptic message.

“Hey, Leeteuk,” Hangeng beamed from my left, at his usual position behind the counter. “You're looking better.”

“Hello, Hangeng. Thanks.”

I continued on my way to the employee locker room. Coming to a stop in front of my designated locker, I lifted the handle and opened the door to place my wallet, keys and cell phone on the bottom. When I shut the door I jumped a foot off the ground. Ryeowook had hidden himself behind the door to surprise me.

“Goodness Wookie! You trying to give me a heart attack?” I asked, hand clutching my chest as I staggered back against the lockers.

“I never told you about my date with Yesung!” he gushed excitedly, gripping his serving tray in front of him so hard his knuckles were white.

“I'd hope you've had a few more since then,” I grinned as I put myself back to rights.

“We have, but I still didn't get to tell you about the first,” Ryeowook pouted cutely. How could I deny him? “I held off on it. I knew something was going on between you and Kyuhyun so I didn't think it was the right time. But it looks like it's all good now! Congrats! You don't look like a zombie anymore.”

I snorted, “Thanks, Wookie. Now tell me about that date. Spare no detail.”

Ryeowook slowly filled me in little by little every chance he got. We dawdled on our way back to the floor so he could have more time to tell me his story. I quickly poked my head into the kitchen to yell a hello to Henry before he started. He began by describing the outfit he had chosen. His pair of dark designer jeans he reserved for special occasions and a V-neck t-shirt. I asked what color he had decided on and he replied with robin's egg blue. That was all I had been able to find out by the time I took my place behind the counter with Hangeng. I gave him an apologetic smile.

“To be continued,” he said dramatically before whisking off to go check on his customers.

I watched as Yesung's eyes followed him to the other side of the room, dropping to check out his behind along the way.

“So you and Kyuhyun finally made up?” Hangeng questioned me with a curious expression.

“Everything's fine, Hannie. Just a little misundersta-”

“Little? Did you happen to glance into a mirror at all during this _little_ misunderstanding?”

“Like I was saying. A misunderstanding. We're fine. He'll be coming in some time tonight. And thanks for the raise, by the way,” I smiled shyly, a blush creeping up my neck.

“Don't mention it. You were due. Plus, I know Sungmin is trying to get you to work for him.”

“I might work both jobs,” I admitted.

“As long as you don't quit here. We need you.”

“Wouldn't dream of it,” I assured him.

Yesung strode up to the counter to drop a drink order off to Hangeng, tray tucked under his arm. I noticed he was wearing the earring that made Ryeowook swoon the hardest, a dangling cross. They were already adorable.

“Hiya, Teuk. Among the land of the living again, I see. Welcome back,” he said with a broad grin.

“Really, guys? It was just lack of sleep!”

“And eating,” Hangeng supplied.

“And living,” Yesung tossed in helpfully.

I growled low in my throat which just caused the both of them to laugh. I decided to turn the tables and put the attention on someone else.

“So … are you and Wook boyfriends yet? You two exclusive?” I asked Yesung sweetly.

“Coming!” Yesung called over his shoulder to the invisible patron that had beckoned him.

I smiled at my own genius as I crossed my arms over my chest victoriously.

“Nicely done,” Hangeng mused as he began working on the cappuccinos for Yesung.

“Thanks.”

Even with all the teasing, I was happy to be at work. It had been awhile since I worked behind the counter, usually being a waiter. The number of customers was actually pretty few considering it was the weekend. Hangeng handled the drink orders and the front counter while I tidied up and restocked inventory. I bussed tables and delivered dirty dishes to Henry in the back for him to wash. While I was changing the trash in the main lobby, Wook stole away from his tables to give me more details about his and Yesung's date.

They had stayed in. Yesung had gone over to Ryeowook's apartment, bringing over a bottle of wine and a single rose. Wook had made a roast so he didn't have to slave over a stove all day and had made dessert the night before. They had talked over dinner and through dessert. He had to stop there to give checks to two of his tables. His story had me on pins and needles but in a good way. I was excited to hear if there had been a kiss at the end of the first night. Then I remembered Wook had mentioned Yesung had brought wine and my wondering jumped to if they had slept together already. I knew how Ryeowook was with wine. I wanted to hear about the other dates I had missed out on now. Part of me was betting they had to of slept together by now. That wasn't a bad thing. They knew each other way before their first date and they were both responsible adults. As long as both of them knew what they were doing, it was fine by me.

I hefted the black plastic bag over my shoulder and made my way out the back to toss it in the dumpster. I washed my hands as soon as I reentered the cafe and headed to Hangeng to see if there was anything specific he wanted or needed me to do.

“Hangeng, anything you've been putting off that needs to be done?” I asked as I drummed my fingers along the counter top.

“You insinuating I'm a procrastinator?”

“Never,” I replied seriously while nodding my head in the affirmative.

“Alright. Inventory needs to be done. Unload the order first. I'll have Henry come get you if it gets busy out here but it doesn't look like we will be getting a rush anytime soon.”

I gave a salute before turning sharply on my heel and making my way back the way I had come. I entered the stock room to find cardboard boxes of the delivered order stacked in the middle of the room. I released a sigh before diving in. Opening the first box, I began restocking the shelves, making sure to rotate the stock whenever needed. I hummed to myself as I worked to make time go by faster. Open a new box, put its contents on the proper shelves, break down the box, repeat. I had one box of flavored syrup left when I was startled from a voice behind me.

“You're too pretty to be stashed away back here.”

I spun around in surprise, clipboard in hand to face Kyuhyun. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, a bright yellow shirt almost blinding me as I gave him the once over.

“Who let you back here?” I asked incredulously, glancing over his shoulder at the closed door.

“Hangeng. He owns the place, you know. Told me I'd find you back here,” he replied smugly, crossing his arms over his chest as he lifted his chin defiantly.

“And he just let you come wandering back here?”

“He practically escorted me,” he said with a smirk.

“Why didn't you just wait in the lobby?”

“And miss precious alone time? I think not.”

“This is still my work, Kyuhyun.”

“I'm aware, but I think your boss _wants_ us to get frisky. By the way, everyone was really happy to see me,” he finished with mild confusion, taking a step further into the room.

“I _told_ you they were worried you had abandoned me,” I explained as I turned back around to finish my work. “Did you bring the laptop?”

“Hangeng's keeping an eye on it.”

I knelt to the floor and slid the blade of the scissors down the center of the last cardboard box to open it. I closed the scissors carefully and put them back in their proper place in the plastic cup attached to the shelving unit. Pulling the flaps of the box open, I took note on the sheet clipped to the board of how many of each flavor of syrup we had received. Now that the paperwork was finished, I returned the clipboard to the nail on the wall to my right before returning to the box to empty it.

“Did Sungmin come in today?” Kyuhyun asked from behind me.

“No. He usually comes in during the week. Why?”

“Just wondering if you got to talk to him about that second job.”

“Nope, not yet.”

“Do you really need to take on a second job? Even with your raise?”

“It wouldn't hurt. Hey, I came up with some more questions,” I informed him as I placed the last bottle of red cherry syrup on the shelf. I turned back to the box and picked it up to break it down.

“Can I get a kiss first?”

“What?” I dropped the flattened cardboard on top of the others.

“A kiss,” he tapped his lips with a slender finger, taking a step toward me. “I want one.”

I shifted uncomfortably. It's not that I didn't _want_ to kiss him, but this was my work. It didn't feel appropriate. Then again, we were alone in a closed room and Hangeng had directed Kyuhyun straight to me. I wouldn't put it passed him to encourage us to do more than kiss while tucked away back here. I wiped my palms on my apron before drawing to a halt in front of him. He smiled down at me, wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me in.

“Wanna hear a secret?” he whispered down to me conspiratorially, light dancing in his eyes as he swayed us back and forth slightly.

I nodded slowly, reaching up to circle my arms around his neck. I ran my fingers through the soft hair at the base of his neck as I waited for him to spill.

“I've made it my personal goal to have sex with you in every room of our apartment _including_ the balcony. I'm adding this room and the employee bathroom to the list.”

I rolled my eyes, stretching up on my tiptoes to press my lips to his. His hands slid up my back and I clutched at his shoulders as he dipped me back, cradling my body in his arms. He pulled away to run his mouth down my jaw, licking a wet trail down the column of my neck to stop at my collarbone.

“Kyuhyun,” I gasped, hands scrambling against his back as his hand cushioned my head.

“I was serious about that room thing. Stop squirming, I won't drop you. Well I might if you keep wiggling.”

His sharp teeth closed around the fleshy part of my shoulder and I moaned involuntarily.

“Ah, Kyuhyun! Not today. You said just a kiss. _I_ was serious about having questions to ask you.”

He groaned in complaint, low in his throat as he buried his face in my neck. He straightened us up before glancing down at me, narrowing his eyes playfully.

“How many questions did you come up with?”

“A few.”

“Then give me another kiss. I _promise_ just a kiss,” he grinned.

“Answer my questions after?”

“Yes,” he nodded.

There was something about being at work, about being in my uniform as we hid in the back room. I felt a bit more … daring. I ran my hands through his hair and tightened my fingers on the dark strands. His eyes widened in surprise and I smirked before pulling his face down in front of mine. His warm hands squeezed my waist. I leaned forward to nudge my nose against his, angling my head to the right to lick at his bottom lip. His mouth parted with a startled gasp and I took the opening, sliding my tongue into his mouth to taste him. Someone had given him a cinnamon apple muffin before sending him my way. I could taste the lingering traces of spice and warm apple. He allowed me to remain in control for a few moments so I could explore every inch of his mouth. His fingertips dug into my hips as I massaged his tongue with my own. I moaned when he began to play back, chasing my tongue back into my mouth. He gave it a few strong swipes before pulling back to nibble at my lip. A whimper escaped my throat. He glanced down at me and I peeked up at him.

“What's gotten into you?” he asked huskily.

“Just giving you what you asked for,” I shrugged, my face flushed from our heated moment.

“I asked for a kiss not mouth sex.”

“You complaining?”

“Not in the least. So what are these questions of yours?”

I flattened his hair back down from where I had messed it up as I began. “Can others besides us know the truth?”

He ran the palm of his hand down the back of my head to help put my hair back to rights as well.

“You mean, will it somehow make the situation worse?”

I nodded glumly.

“I'm not sure. I've never risked it. With my first master, there wasn't another person to tell,” he shrugged. “You have lots of friends. I just think it would be weird for them to know. It would raise a lot of questions and I'm already tired just thinking about them. I don't have or know all the answers for them anyway. Not to mention it's kind of … degrading for people to know I'm a cat … can _turn_ into a cat.”

“Keeping it a secret, check,” I nodded once.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. I was just wondering if it somehow made the scenario worse, if someone finds out you can never change back or something along those lines. Which brings me to question two.”

“Yeah?”

“What if something happens to you? Like I need to take you to the hospital.”

“No hospitals,” he replied quickly, firmly with a shake of his head.

“But what if you're really-”

“No buts,” he urged in a gentle voice with an assuring smile. “I'm already dead, remember? It would create too many problems. No hospitals, ever. Start learning how to sew.”

I frowned at his words. It made sense but it didn't make me feel better. What if he ever got seriously injured? Even if I learned how to give stitches, I didn't think I had the stomach for it.

“Don't ever get seriously hurt, okay?”

“I'll try not to,” he smiled, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. “I heal faster in kitty form anyway.”

That was something at least. A little bit comforting.

“Any others?”

“Do you think we should get you a cell phone?”

“What for?”

“For emergencies. If you need to get a hold of me or I need to reach you.”

“But we're practically always together. It would be a waste of that money you talk so much about. Think about it. If you're at work, if I'm not already here, I will be at some point. Oh, idea! When you have work you can just leave your mobile with me. That way I can call the cafe if I need you for something and you can use the phone here to reach me on your cell. How bout that?”

“Yeah, let's start doing that,” I agreed, impressed with his genius.

“Now I have a question for you.”

“Oh?”

“Have you gotten in contact with Heechul yet?”

“No,” I frowned. “I've been putting it off.”

“You should probably call him soon. He doesn't sound like the type to like to hear news from anyone but the source. He knows Donghae and Eunhyuk, right?”

I nodded, bottom lip folded between my teeth to run my tongue along it nervously.

“You shouldn't wait too long then.”

“You're right, I know.”

I extricated myself from his arms to bend down and pick up the stack of cardboard. I squeezed them to my chest so none of them could drop from my hold.

“Go play on the laptop. I have to get back to work.”

“Have you had any breaks yet?” he asked hopefully.

“Not yet.”

“I'll ask Hangeng if you can have one soon,” he beamed.

“He probably counts this as one,” I pointed out.

He waved a hand through the air dismissively, opening the door for me so I could leave first. I turned left to make my way out the back to deposit the cardboard boxes in the green dumpster.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	20. Mochi

I came back into the main lobby and was immediately glomped by Ryeowook.

“ _Where_ have you _been?_ ” he stage whispered.

My eyes swiveled to land on Kyuhyun, stationed at the counter in front of my open laptop as he talked with Hangeng. They were laughing about something and I smiled to myself.

“Hangeng asked me to put away the order and take inventory,” I explained. “What happened after dinner and dessert?” I asked as I retied the strings of my apron.

He launched into his story without further prodding on my part.

“He brought over a movie for us to watch. A horror film, the sly dog. You know how I am with scary movies. I think he knew and used it to his advantage. So there was definite snuggling on the couch. Snuggling lead to kissing, kissing lead to touching.”

“Wookie, did you guys sleep together on the first date?” I asked incredulously with wide eyes.

“No,” he answered innocently, but I knew better. “We waited until the second date to go all the way. We just used our hands and mouths on the first date.”

“Did he sleep over the first night?”

“Yeah,” Ryeowook beamed. “He took over my kitchen and made me breakfast in bed.”

“Adorable,” I gushed delightfully. I had been waiting ages for these two to get together and was simply ecstatic that it had finally happened.

“Any future plans set up?”

“I'm going to his place tonight after work.”

“You two kids be safe. Any news on if you're exclusive?”

“I think it's more of a silent agreement at this point. What about you? Kyuhyun seems to be making himself comfortable again. He gonna become a permanent fixture?” he asked me pointedly with raised brows and a knowing smile.

“Oh him?” I asked cheekily, pointing in Kyu's direction. “That's just my boyfriend, no biggie.”

“ _Really?_ ” Ryeowook squealed loudly.

“Yep,” I grinned.

“Oh, Leeteuk!” he exclaimed, latching onto my side like Velcro. “I'm so happy for you!”

“Thanks, Wook. I'm happy for you too. I've been wanting you two to get together since you started working here.”

“Sorry it took us so long,” he giggled as he detached himself.

“Better late than never,” I quipped.

Ryeowook bounced off to grab an order from the kitchen window. I glanced out the large front window to see it had grown dark, the street lamps glowing through the din. I let out a sigh and slid behind the counter to pull up to Hangeng's side. He was wiping down the counter, having nothing else to do.

“Slow day,” he stated conversationally.

“Yeah,” I agreed as I glanced around the lobby of the cafe.

Kyuhyun was the only one occupying the counter, lips moving noiselessly as he fixed the screen with a look of concentration. There were two parties in Ryeowook's section: a group of college professors mulling over countless texts and loose pieces of paper and a young student stashed away in the corner, slamming down coffees as he listened to his music through his big headphones while pouring over his textbooks and black laptop. I watched him for a few minutes, refusing to turn away until I witnessed him blink. I turned my attention to Yesung's section once he had finally committed the act. His section was the busiest. A large group of giggling university girls were stationed in front of the glass of the window. They were part of Yesung's fan club. Poor girls had no idea he was gay let alone his new partner was sharing the same air as them.

“Need a break yet?” Hangeng asked.

I watched as Kyuhyun's head snapped up, eyes glinting at the prospect of no doubt dragging me into the bathroom to get started on that list of his.

“Break from what? Maybe in a bit,” I replied. “What needs to be done?”

“Go check on Henry, will you? I haven't heard him break anything in a while. I'm getting nervous.”

“Will do.”

I caught Kyuhyun's disappointed pout as I made my way back into the kitchen. I waved to the two cooks as I passed through the double doors to the dish washing area. I found Henry there. Standing in front of the counter full of dirty dishes. His white apron had wet splotches on it from the dish water. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his pale skin. My eyes flickered up to his face to land on his cute cheeks. My gaze fell to his hands to see he was trying to apply a bandage to one of them.

“Oh, Mochi! What happened?” I crooned, striding to his side to grasp his injured hand, getting a better look at the long gash in his palm.

“I cut myself on a knife,” he sniffed as he allowed me to take over treating his wound.

“Thank God it's not too deep,” I breathed in relief. I turned the open first aid kit towards me and picked up the bottle of disinfectant. He hissed through his teeth and tried to pull his hand away as I applied the dark amber liquid. I tightened my hold and he gave up trying to get away.

“How are you holding up?” I asked gently, glancing up at his tear stained cheeks.

“How have I _not_ been fired yet?” he cried.

“Do you _want_ to be fired?”

“Of course not.”

“Good. We don't want to see you go. So you've broken a few dishes, so what? Hangeng thinks it's just your nerves, new job and all. You'll be fine.”

“How can you be so sure? I bet _you_ never broke a dish,” he mumbled as he turned his head away.

“Not here, but I did at my first job,” I admitted as I placed the sticky bandage to the palm of his hand, rubbing the edges to make sure it would adhere.

“Really?” he asked in disbelief.

“Sure did, but my first boss wasn't as nice as Hangeng. He took it out of my paycheck and yelled at me in front of the rest of the staff.”

“That's awful.”

“Yeah, first jobs usually are. Just be happy we don't want to give up on you. Hangeng mentioned you haven't broken anything in a while. When was the last time?”

“Monday,” he replied after a moment of thought.

“See? That's good! You're improving already!”

“I guess so,” he muttered, dropping his gaze to his shoes.

“You just need more self confidence. We believe in your abilities, you need to as well,” I smiled as I ruffled his soft brown hair.

“Thanks, hyung,” he replied shyly, running his uninjured hand through his hair to tidy what I had mussed.

“Do you want to try and keep washing or do you want one of us to take over for you?”

“I can finish. We aren't open that much longer anyway. I'll just wear a glove to keep the bandage dry.”

“Alright,” I smiled warmly. “Just let Hangeng know if you change your mind. He'll understand.”

He nodded and I made my way back to the front counter. Yesung's fan club was gone but Ryeowook's studious young teen and teachers were still there.

“He still alive back there?” Hangeng questioned me with a small grin.

“Yeah, he just cut himself on a knife.”

“What?” he whipped his head to the kitchen door in hopes of catching sight of Henry.

“He's alright,” I assured him.

“I'll be the judge of that,” he answered firmly. “Mochi? Are you okay?” he called as he scampered off towards our resident, little accident prone Henry.

I chuckled as I watched him go. Just like Hannie to overreact over the smallest of things where one of us was concerned. He had such big heart and cared for each of us deeply. If any one of us got hurt, especially on his watch, you better watch out. He'd come sweeping in like a knight in shining armor to make sure we were alright.

“What's a Mochi?” Kyuhyun asked, not lifting his gaze from the computer.

“Our nickname for Henry. You haven't met him. He's the dishwasher so he's always in the back. He's kind of clumsy, but really adorable.”

“Cute combo,” he replied with a small smile. “Why didn't you take your break when Hangeng offered?”

“I didn't want to give you the chance to kidnap me.”

“You're no fun.”

“That's not what you said earlier.”

“I can't remember earlier. Remind me.”

“Pervert.”

“Prude.”

I stuck my tongue out at him childishly.

“Why don't you come over here and do that?”

The funny thing was, not once had he lifted his eyes to land on me. He must have great peripheral vision. I glanced up to see Yesung and Ryeowook cavorting in the hallway leading to the employee locker room away from the curious eyes of the customers. Wook was giggling behind his hand, serving tray between them as Yesung whispered in his ear with a seductive smile. I grinned as I watched the exchange.

“Love is in the air, huh?”

“How do you _do_ that? You didn't even look!”

“Maybe not but there's a wicked glare on my screen and I have exquisite hearing,” he replied.

“Oh?” I perked up. “Can you hear what Yesung's saying?” I whispered, bracing my forearms against the counter to lean closer to Kyuhyun.

“Yup.”

“What's he-”

“Not telling.”

“Why not?” I pouted.

“It's personal,” he said defensively, as if he was part of their secret conversation.

“Fine,” I huffed.

“What do you want to do tonight after you get out?” Kyuhyun asked through a stifled yawn, fingers still clacking away on the keyboard.

“I want takeout for one thing. Been craving it since you mentioned it this morning,” I replied through my own yawn.

“We could watch a movie,” he suggested. “I haven't watched a movie in ages.”

“Alright. You pick. You know … that pretty white box plays movies and not just games.”

He raised his chin and stuck his tongue out in my general direction, still refusing to tear his eyes away from the computer screen.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	21. Movie Night

Hangeng had sent Henry home to focus on healing and took over the dish washing, leaving me alone to man the front counter. All patrons besides Kyuhyun, if he actually counted, had slowly trickled out into the night. Hangeng told us we could close early about an hour after that since it had been a quiet day and no new customers strolled through our door. Ryeowook skipped to the front door to flip the sign to CLOSED.

“You never even took a break,” Kyuhyun pouted as he shut down the computer to pack it away.

“We had a break in the back when you first got here,” I whispered in response. “And now I get to go home with you so stop complaining.”

Kyuhyun waited patiently as we carried out our closing priorities. The cooks took care of shutting down the kitchen for the night while Hangeng finished up in the back with the dishes. Yesung and Ryeowook wiped down the tables and flipped the chairs onto the tops of them to open up the floor for vacuuming. Ryeowook vacuumed, putting on a slight show for his lover as I shut down the front counter. I pulled out the money drawer to put in the safe of the office for Hangeng to count later. I told him I had done so and he told me to leave already with a loud laugh. I chuckled, bidding him good night before following orders.

Kyuhyun clasped my hand as he carried our takeout in a plastic bag in his other hand. I clutched my new kitten calendar to my chest as we strolled down the sidewalk on our way home, hand in hand.

“Did you _have_ to get the kitten one?”

“Yes,” I nodded excitedly.

He shook his head slowly, but he couldn't hide his smile from me. He squeezed my hand gently as we kept our leisurely pace. We could always heat up the food if it got cold on the way home.

 

 

“So you work in the morning,” Kyuhyun concluded as he watched me tack the calendar to the office wall. I had written my schedule for the next two weeks on it before putting it up on the wall above the desk.

“Yeah. Bright and early. I'll probably be up and gone before you wake up but I'll be sure to leave you breakfast.”

“Don't worry about that,” he said as he pulled me back against his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist as he rested his chin on my shoulder. “There are plenty of leftovers for me to tackle in the fridge. Not to mention what will be left over from tonight's takeout.”

“If you're sure. What movie did you decide on?” I craned my head against his shoulder to look up at him.

“Not telling. Come on. Let's go eat, I'm hungry.”

We ate out of the white cardboard cartons for a few minutes on the couch of the living room before starting the movie, wanting to take the initial edge off our hunger first. We were both leaning against an arm of the couch, feet meeting on the middle cushion.

“Yah, gimme a bite of your broccoli,” Kyuhyun nudged the top of my foot with his toe.

“Gimme some of your chicken,” I slid down and reached out to wedge my cold foot up his shirt, being sure to touch the warm skin of his stomach.

“Ah!” he jumped, trying to escape my cold attack. “Alright, alright!”

I sat up with a triumphant smile as he fished around in his carton with his chopsticks for the perfect Leeteuk-sized piece of chicken. Opening my mouth, I leaned forward as he held out the chunk of meat for me. I captured it with my mouth and munched happily as I searched for a stalk of broccoli to give to him.

“Don't be stingy now,” he prompted.

“Never,” I mumbled through my mouthful.

I scooped up the biggest one I could find before presenting it to Kyuhyun.

“Now _that's_ what I'm talking about,” he grinned, scootching closer with his eyes locked on his target.

He dove for it but I moved out of the way. He frowned at the vegetable, as if it had been its idea to avoid his attack. He lunged again, teeth closing on air. I smiled at the low growl rumbling in his chest. This time, before striking, he snatched my wrist to keep it in place. I tried to move it but he was too strong so he finally obtained his desired piece of broccoli. I sat my carton on the coffee table and stretched my legs out to wiggle between his thigh and the back of the couch to warm them up.

“Ready for the movie?” he asked as he leaned against my feet.

“Ready,” I nodded as I fluffed the pillow behind me for better support.

I didn't catch his evil smile as he grabbed the remote to turn on the television. He had set everything up while I changed into my pajamas when we first got back. He changed into his own while I wrote my schedule on my new kitty calendar. He had pointed at one of the squares over my shoulder when he came back out, wearing a pair of orange pajama bottoms and a blue t-shirt.

“Put a star on this one,” he had demanded.

“What for?” I asked confusedly, narrowing my eyes at it as I tried to figure out its importance.

“The day I got you to believe that we are dating. Anniversary,” he replied before walking off.

I had marked it with a tiny heart.

I smiled to myself as I thought of that moment about an hour later. Kyuhyun definitely had a soft spot for me. Good, I liked him too.

He pushed the power button for the DVD player but what really got my attention was when he set his food down on the table next to the remotes. It wasn't like him to not finish his portion along with some of mine. I raised a brow in his direction but his gaze was fixed on the TV. He was sitting in an awkward position as well. His back was still pressed against the arm of the couch so his body was pivoted in my direction. His right leg was stretched out along the couch, leaning against my right side. His left leg was bent over the edge of his cushion, flat of his foot resting on the wood of the floor. His arms were limp at his sides, palms opened up to the ceiling as if he were waiting for something. This smelled fishy.

“Kyuhyun?” I asked worriedly.

“Yeah?”

“What movie did you pick out at the video store?”

“Just something Yesung suggested to me today,” he shrugged.

Eerie music dripped from the speakers of the television and my head whipped to the right just in time to catch the opening montage of the title screen of the scary movie Kyuhyun had purchased.

“Kyuhyun!” I scolded as I lurched forward to dive into his waiting arms.

He chuckled as he folded his arms around me and breathed in the scent of my hair. Screams and heart racing music pumped out of the speakers. It wasn't too loud since we didn't want to disturb the neighbors but it was still _on_. I whimpered as I buried my face in the crook of his neck and shoulder.

“You want to give me nightmares?” I squeaked.

“No, I want cuddles,” he replied cheerily.

“You overheard Wookie and I talking at work!” I accused loudly.

“Yup,” he laughed as he rubbed a large hand up and down my spine.

“Why a _scary_ movie?” I whined.

“For this reason,” he said, indicating my koala grip on his front.

“If you wanted to cuddle we could've just _cuddled_. You didn't need to set the mood with a horror film!”

“Not as fun. Come on. Yesung said this is a good one, was praising it all day.”

Overall, it wasn't that traumatic of an experience. Kyuhyun had me lay down on the couch in front of him so he could pull me into his chest as he laid down behind me. He wrapped a comforting leg around mine and let me use his left arm as a pillow. His right hand was used as my shield. When the music would grow in intensity, that moment you just _know_ something would jump out and scare you, I held his hand in front of my eyes to block my vision of the screen. But he knew I was also curious so he would splay his fingers apart, creating a gap between his middle and ring fingers so I could peek through to see what was happening. I jumped multiple times, some moments because Kyuhyun himself had scared me, and only screamed once. My heart rate had definitely skyrocketed.

“What did you think?” he asked me as he helped me roll to face him, long leg still trapping mine.

The television and DVD player were safely off.

“If you ever hear a creepy noise … and you go to investigate … especially alone … you're kind of asking to be killed in a gruesome manner,” I grimaced.

“Willing to watch more scary movies with me in the future?” he asked hopefully.

“Willing to receive basic cooking skills from me?”

“No,” he smiled.

I rolled my eyes, “Fine. Yeah, I'll watch scary movies with you, but we can start borrowing them from Yesung's collection. We don't need to start making our own.”

I covered my mouth as I yawned, groaning as the muscles in my back fluttered. Kyuhyun pulled me closer, hunkering down so our faces were level. I glanced at him to see him looking at me intently. He swept my bangs out of my eyes, grazing his fingertips down the side of my face gently. It tickled but I remained still as I watched him. He moved in as if to kiss me but paused halfway. I tipped my head up to let him know I wanted him to. The pad of his thumb brushed over my cheekbone and a smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth before he dipped his head down the rest of the way.

I melted into him, his soft lips warm and gentle as they brushed along mine. His fingers feathered their way up the skin of my back under my shirt as his hot tongue swept over my bottom lip. My moan sounded like a whine as I pressed my body into him. He slipped his tongue into my waiting mouth and held me tight as he kissed me slowly. He was being so careful and sensuous, it was driving me mad. He pulled away to look down at me, a smile gracing his perfect face.

“What?” I asked, not able to hold back a smile of my own.

“I'm glad it was you that found me that night,” he whispered in a deep voice.

My breath hitched, a blush sprung to my face and my heart thundered in my chest.

“Me too,” I breathed faintly.

He bent down again to kiss me more hungrily, passionately. We spent the rest of the evening kissing. Our lips grew red and swollen but it didn't hinder our persistence. We moved from the couch to the kitchen to put our takeout into the cold confines of the fridge. He pressed me into the white doors to capture my bruised lips with his own. I groaned and tangled my fingers in his dark hair to help angle his head more. We stumbled into the bathroom, seizing all making out so we could brush our teeth. After we were finished, he lifted me up to set me on the counter of the sink to kiss me slowly, teasingly. I enjoyed both paces of kissing Kyuhyun. The slow got me just as worked up as the eager, maybe even more so. With the gentle side, I felt more of his lips, firm yet soft. With the more rough, there was more tongue, arousing and naughty.

We stole away into the bedroom for the rest of the night, laying on our sides to face each other, the light display switched on and humming in the background.

“Your lips are all red,” he chuckled as he pointed at my mouth.

“Yours too,” I grinned as I touched his swollen lips with my fingertips.

“Want to stop?” he asked with a broad grin, no doubt already knowing my answer.

“Never.”

I gripped his shirt and pulled him to me roughly, crashing our sore lips together.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	22. Time's Up

I woke up from a very peaceful sleep despite having watched a horror film with Kyuhyun shortly before bed. I opened my eyes to be greeted by Kyuhyun's sleeping face. His left arm was slung over my waist and his right hand was gripping my left loosely on the mattress between us. His face was pulled into a frown, brows furrowed and I wondered what he was dreaming about. I lifted a finger to smooth the wrinkles between his eyebrows. His face softened and he mumbled incoherently before pressing the side of his face further into his green pillowcase. I jolted as the alarm of my phone went off. I reached for it anxiously to shut it off, not wanting to disturb Kyuhyun's sleep. I reluctantly pulled my hand from his clutch to get ready for work.

I took the quickest shower of my life before dressing quietly in the bedroom, watching Kyuhyun sleep as I pulled on my uniform. My lips were just a little sore and tired from all our kissing the night before but I couldn't help myself. I _had_ to kiss him before I left for work. He had rolled onto his back while I was in the shower, one arm draped off the side of the bed while the other was resting on his pillow next to his head. I padded over to him and bent at the waist to ghost my lips over his, not wanting to add too much pressure and wake him.

“Have a good day, LeeLee,” his lips mumbled against mine.

My eyes shot open in surprise as I continued to lean over his body. Did he just call me _LeeLee?_

“You're awake?” I whispered.

“Barely. Kiss me better,” he grumbled, eyes still sealed.

I snorted, craning my head down to press my lips more firmly to his. He took control immediately, biting my bottom lip and eliciting a gasp from my parted lips. He slipped his tongue inside and nudged it against mine once before flopping back into the pillow beneath him.

“Better,” he smiled goofily.

“Go back to bed. I'll be home in a few hours. It's a short shift.”

“Kay,” he replied drowsily before his soft snores filled the room.

I grabbed my phone and left the room. I shrugged on my coat in the entryway, slid my wallet into my pocket and scooped up my keys. I locked the door before heading down the hall.

 

 

Hangeng and Yesung were working with me that morning. Hangeng, as always, was behind the counter. I claimed my usual section while Yesung took the other.

“So how'd you like the movie?” Yesung grinned as we took the chairs down off the table tops.

“Oh thanks for that, by the way,” I feigned anger. “Give me a heads up next time you decide to bestow movie wisdom on my boyfriend.”

He merely cackled in response. Hangeng fired up the coffee, the warm aroma filling the shop as we waited for our first customers of the day. While waiting, I listened in on Hangeng's phone call to Henry, asking if he was okay. I waved to the cooks as they came in through the back to get ready for breakfast orders. We didn't get many, most morning customers just craving their morning caffeine fix.

“How's he doing?” I asked Hangeng as he set the wireless phone down in its cradle.

“He's fine. Sleepy from the pain medication. He needed a few stitches and is staying at a friend's. I told him to come back when he felt ready to work.”

“I wouldn't doubt it if he came strolling in later today,” I chuckled.

“I told him not to dare try. Take a couple days at least.”

The bell of the front door rang, signaling the arrival of our first customer. It was Sungmin. I guess now would be the best time to talk to him. I glanced at Hangeng sheepishly, quietly asking for approval.

“Go ahead. We aren't busy,” he nudged me with his elbow.

I thanked him quickly before exiting the counter area to go greet Sungmin. He smiled as I approached him.

“Hey, Leeteuk,” he beamed with a friendly bob of his head.

“Hi, Sungmin. Here for breakfast?” I asked conversationally as I led him to his usual table.

“Actually,” he stretched the word with an awkward laugh. “I came to ask if you've thought about that job offer.”

He unbuttoned his suit jacket to take a seat. I slid into the chair across from him and folded my hands together on the table.

“I have,” I replied.

“Really?” he asked eagerly.

“Yeah. I'd like to work both jobs if I can,” I said with a serious nod.

“Of course!” he clapped his hands together excitedly. “Do you know what days you'd like to work?”

“Oh, I haven't really thought of that. Just as long as I work both jobs,” I mumbled lamely.

“Ah, I'll figure that out with Hannie later,” Sungmin winked as he flashed Hangeng a bright smile. “He's just happy you're not leaving, am I right?”

I nodded with a small smile.

“No worries. I won't steal you away completely. I'd never hear the end of it from him.”

Sungmin and Hangeng had first met in college. They quickly became competitive friends. Sungmin was more into the business and finance of things. Hangeng was about atmosphere and ambiance.

“What do you want to do?” Sungmin asked, wiggling forward on his chair.

“I figure bartending or waitstaff.”

“You have experience tending bar?” he asked with a raised brow, as if he hadn't expected it yet was impressed.

“Yes. My first job was as a bartender.”

“ _Perfect_! We just lost a bartender so you can fill his spot.”

“What happened to him?” I asked curiously.

“Oh, he's moving to go to university,” he replied, waving a hand through the air. “Well this is excellent! I'll go talk to Hangeng to work out a schedule and he'll tell you about it later,” Sungmin smiled as he stood to his feet.

“Sounds good. Thanks, Sungmin,” I smiled back.

“You probably want to work at the restaurant closest to here?” he confirmed.

“Please,” I nodded.

He buttoned his jacket back up with a nod, “I'll call you to let you know when to come in and start.”

I shook his hand before he sauntered off to discuss things with Hangeng. Sungmin stayed for a good while, sitting at the counter to joke and talk with Hangeng as he nursed a coffee in his hand. I was happy they got along so well even though they were sort of competitors in a way. I filled the drink orders as customers came in. Yesung took care of both sides of the lobby, not really needing two servers until around lunch. By that time, I would already be on my way back home. On any other normal day, I would hate that I had such a short shift, but I was looking forward to going back home to Kyuhyun. Maybe he would still be in bed and I could snuggle up next to him upon my return. Or maybe he would be in the shower and I could join him. I was pulled out of my reverie by Sungmin's chipper voice.

“Bye, Leeteuk,” he waved from near the door. “I'll call you soon!”

I smiled and waved as he walked out of the cafe.

“I knew he'd get you sooner or later,” Hangeng sighed.

“Relax, Hannie. I'm still working here,” I said as I slid Yesung his coffee order.

“Until he offers you more money than me and takes you away for good,” he mumbled.

“Hangeng, I've promised you countless times that I won't quit. I love it here too much. Plus, I owe you for saving me from that bar.”

“Oh right! I wondered if I could still hold that over you,” he grinned cheerfully.

“You can,” I laughed. “I'm not going anywhere. You'd have to fire me.”

“Never gonna happen,” he beamed.

“Then we have an understanding.”

I slid from behind the counter to clean off a few of the tables. One of the part timers had come in to fill in for Henry as dishwasher. I greeted him warmly as I dropped off the dishes. Hangeng was back to filling drink orders and I stood across from him on the other side of the high counter.

“Slow morning, too,” he pointed out.

“It'll pick up around lunch,” I yawned.

“Long night?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Not for the reason you're thinking,” I scolded.

The ringer on the door sounded signifying the arrival of a new customer. I glanced up to Hangeng to ask him a question but paused from the look on his face.

“Who is that … _beautiful creature_?” he breathed with wide eyes.

I was about to turn to see what he was talking about when a shrill voice made my blood run cold.

“What's this I hear about Donghae and Eunhyuk meeting your new _boyfriend_?”

Oh _shit_.

I spun around to face an angry figure, long black hair pulled up into a sloppy ponytail, dark eyes ablaze trying their best to set me on fire.

“Heechul,” I gasped, face full of horror.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	23. Panic Attack

He strode towards me, face twisted in anger. I backed into the counter, wincing as the sharp edge dug into my spine. I grabbed a tray to hold in front of my body like a shield, ducking behind it like the coward I was.

“ _Why_ didn't you call me? _Why_ did I have to find out from the _derp_ couple?” he yelled.

I was so thankful there were no customers in the lobby at that moment.

“Heechul, I'm sorry! I meant to tell you! I was going to call you today after work,” I assured him as he loomed over me.

“Of _course_ you were. How convenient,” he smiled darkly, voice laced with sickly sweet sarcasm.

“Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt,” Hangeng piped up.

“Then _don't_ ,” Heechul hissed, flashing his dark eyes in my boss' direction.

“Would you like a coffee?” he continued anyways with a dazed smile.

Oh, perfect. Hangeng was falling for Heechul's charm already.

“Whatever. Latte,” he waved a dismissive hand.

Hangeng scampered off to prepare a beverage for Heechul.

“When do you get off?” Heechul glared down at me, crossing his arms over his chest.

“In … in a couple hours,” I replied meekly, straightening my spine but still gripping the serving tray tightly..

“Good. You're taking me to your apartment so I can meet this _boyfriend_ ,” he demanded, propping himself securely onto one of the bar stools at the counter.

My eyes widened and I gulped harshly. Oh no. No no no no _no!_ I had to call Kyuhyun. I had to warn him.

“One moment,” I gasped.

I turned on my heel, feeling sick. I walked behind the counter and tugged on Hangeng's sleeve, ignoring his humming to himself as he drew a heart into the whipped cream of Heechul's latte with chocolate syrup.

“Watch him, will you? Distract him for a bit.”

“Not a problem,” he sang cheerily.

I fled, bursting into the office to grab the phone, dialing the number of my cell and waiting impatiently as it rang.

“Come on, come on, Kyu pick up!”

It went to voice mail and I tried again. My eyes darted to the door when I caught movement to see Yesung lean inside.

“Hey Teuk, your phone is going off in the locker room.”

“ _Fuck!_ ”

I slammed the phone back into the cradle not catching Yesung's shocked expression.

“You okay? You never swear.”

“Probably not then,” I retorted before guilt washed over me. “Sorry, Yesung. I'll be fine, thanks.”

He gave me the once over before nodding and returning to the lobby. How could I be so _stupid_? Kyuhyun and I had _just_ talked yesterday about me leaving my phone at the apartment so I could call him in moments like this. It was a force of habit to grab my phone before heading off to work. One I needed to break _fast_.

I couldn't do this. I was having a panic attack. Hyperventilating, my heart fluttering uncomfortably behind my ribs, slight dizziness complete with nausea, sweat lining my brow, moist palms, my body was overheating with exertion and it was hard to swallow. I wouldn't be able to function at the thought of not being able to warn Kyuhyun. He had been _right_. I should have called Heechul as soon as he suggested it. This was all my _fault_. Heechul would already be pissed on his way to meet Kyuhyun all because I hadn't been able to pick up the phone to tell him the news beforehand. Sure, he was going to be difficult either way but he was already furious and fuming because he found out from Donghae and Eunhyuk that my _roommate_ was now my _boyfriend_. No. I couldn't work like this. Home. I needed to go home. Hangeng needed to let me off early. He had to let me go.

Rushing out of the room, I collided with the one person I had been searching for.

“Hangeng!” I choked, hand darting out to grip his shoulders.

“Hey, Teukie,” he beamed down at me, a fresh squeeze bottle of chocolate syrup in his hands.

“Hannie, I need to go home early,” I urged.

He frowned down at me. That wasn't a good sign.

“But your shift is almost over,” he replied slowly, as if he couldn't fathom why I would want to leave early.

“Exactly, what's another hour?”

“Exactly, you can wait it out.”

“No, Hangeng, you don't understand-”

“I _do_ understand. That piece of perfection is in _my_ cafe because _you_ are working.”

“If you let me go early, I'll give you his number,” I bargained desperately.

“You'll give me his number before you leave at the end of your shift, _if_ I haven't gotten it myself yet. He's here because of you. You're staying,” he said with finality.

I could've broke down and cried. Yes, it was only an hour, but it was the hardest and longest hour of my life. I felt Heechul's gaze on me the whole time. Hangeng was trying his best to flirt and gain Heechul's attention but he was having none of it.

I was floundering, barely keeping my head above water. Kyuhyun. All I could think of was Kyuhyun. How he would be totally unprepared for Heechul's arrival, bombarded with endless questions, pinned with evil stares. It wasn't fair. He didn't deserve it. I understood Heechul was protective but if I chose Kyuhyun that should be good enough for him.

“Teukie! You can clock out!” Hangeng waved cheerfully from the counter.

I didn't know what to think when I saw Heechul slide a piece of folded paper towards him. Hangeng broke Heechul's defenses? I'd ask later. I didn't have the brain capacity to deal with it now.

 

 

Heechul lead the way to my apartment building, walking briskly. I scampered to keep up with his long strides.

“Please be nice to him,” I begged. “Stay open minded. I really like him.”

“You like him so much you wanted to keep him a secret? _Why_ didn't you tell me?” he growled, glaring at me from the corner of his eye.

“I was worried. I knew you would react like this. _Please_ be civil. He's been nothing but nice to me.” Except for that time he was kitty for months on end and refused to turn human, but Heechul didn't need to know that, _couldn't_ know that, so I tossed the thought aside.

“Then why are there dark circles under your eyes?” he questioned.

“Lack of sleep,” I replied quickly with my prepared excuse.

“You're _sleeping_ with him _already_?!”

He had joked about it on the phone before, when he thought Kyuhyun was nothing more than my roommate, but now that it was a possibility, his protectiveness was shining through full force.

“Shh! Why does your mind stray to the gutter so easily?” I hissed. It was neither affirmation or denial of his question.

He thundered up the stairs towards my apartment, an unexpecting Kyuhyun waiting on the other side of the door. I grabbed his arm causing him to spin to face me.

“Please, Chullie. Be nice. No questions about his past. I get the feeling it's worse than mine,” I urged in a whisper, putting as much emotion into my eyes as I could. It didn't take much, I was already on the verge of tears.

His dark eyes softened for a moment before flinging the door open to rush inside, me stumbling to follow after him.

“Yah! Boyfriend! Come out where I can see you!” Heechul yelled by way of greeting.

I winced when I saw Kyuhyun's head peer out from the office, eyes wide with a pocky stick hanging from his mouth.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	24. Saved

“He's attractive, at least,” Heechul mumbled in an aside to me.

“I'm gonna go change,” I squeaked, not even removing my shoes before hauling butt down the hall, grabbing Kyuhyun along the way to pull him into the bedroom with me.

I pressed my back into the closed door and hung my head.

“Heechul?” Kyuhyun asked, munching on the rest of his chocolate covered snack.

I nodded sullenly, eyes glued to his purple socks. He grew close to me, reaching out to pull me into his chest.

“It'll be fine. We'll be fine. You should hurry and change. I doubt he'll wait long.”

He'd wait until I could force myself back out this door. I couldn't bring myself to move so Kyuhyun began stripping me. His hands slid down my back to untie the strings of my apron.

“I'm so sorry, Kyuhyun. I tried to call you to warn you but I forgot to leave my phone here,” I rambled nervously as he pulled my shirt off.

“Hush, LeeLee,” he coaxed, hands sliding down my bare sides before stepping away to pick out a fresh shirt for me.

I blushed at the pet name he had made for me. Finally becoming master enough of my own body, I unfastened my pants and let them fall to the floor.

“There's nothing he can dish out that I can't handle,” he assured me.

“What about questions about your past?”

He offered me a pair of jeans from the closet and I took them gratefully.

“I'll work around them,” he shrugged.

Kyuhyun pulled a white long sleeved shirt over my head as I tugged on my pants. We switched in the same moment, his hands coming down to zip and button the jeans while mine came up to thread through the sleeves of the shirt.

“White?” I asked.

“Figured it would put you more at ease,” he smiled before taking my hand.

I let out a somewhat dreamy sigh. How could Heechul doubt this man? He was so considerate, so caring.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Not yet.”

I reached up to press my lips to his in a quick kiss.

“Okay, now I am.”

 

 

Heechul was stationed on the couch, slouched against the back with arms and legs crossed. His lips were pursed, jaw was set and eyes were glued on Kyuhyun, dropping down to see our clasped hands. His eyes narrowed into slits.

“H-Heechul? This is Kyuhyun … my boyfriend. Kyuhyun, this is Heechul,” I announced in a small voice.

Kyuhyun raised the hand I didn't have in a death grip in greeting. Heechul snorted in response

“Take a seat, _Kyuhyun_ ,” Heechul said in a challenging tone.

Let the games begin. Kyuhyun gave my hand a squeeze before leaving my side to join Heechul on the couch, sitting on the opposite end. I braced myself for the coming onslaught. Heechul twisted to face Kyuhyun, leaning against the arm with one leg folded in front of him, his left foot still planted on the floor. I held my breath. Any moment now.

“What are your intentions with Teukie?”

“I want to date him, be there for him, with him,” Kyuhyun answered simply.

I took a tentative step toward him, a small smile gracing my lips at his words.

“Are you a heavy drinker? Smoker?”

“No.”

“Ever been to prison, arrested?”

“No.”

“Can you provide for him? What do you bring to the table?”

At this, Kyuhyun's face and confidence fell. He glanced up at me sadly, his shoulders hunched. I took another defensive step into the room.

“I make enough money for the both of us,” I spoke up. “Kyuhyun's a stay at home boyfriend. He does the chores while I'm at work.”

“So he's a free loader,” Heechul concluded with a victorious smirk.

“No!” I said, knowing Heechul's words were like a knife to Kyu's heart. “It's not like that. He would work if he could-”

“Why can't he?”

“I-”

“That doesn't matter, Chullie,” I said firmly, closing my hands into fists at my sides. “I don't care that he doesn't work. He pulls his own around here. Saves me from having to do work around the apartment after I get home from the cafe. He's _not_ a free loader.”

“Oh yeah? You met him on the street, right? He was technically _homeless_ , wasn't he?”

“He … he had just left his previous apartment. His roommate was allergic to his cat so he left. It was raining. I invited him back to my place.”

“Sounds like you fell right into his trap. Ballsy for you, Leeteuk. What were you _thinking_?”

“He's not a murderer or a rapist, Chullie! I'm still alive. He's my _boyfriend_! Did you expect me to stay single forever? Kangin doesn't deserve to have that much power over me.”

I watched as some of his animosity melted away as my words sunk in. It still shocked people when I was able to utter his name.

“You're not mad I have a boyfriend. You're mad Donghae and Eunhyuk found out first, that you didn't hear it from me. Well you should know that Kyuhyun's been on my case trying to get me to contact you. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. He doesn't deserve your doubt and speculation. You don't know what we've been through to get to this point. We have enough working against us to have you add to it.”

I was surprised I had stood up to Heechul, said what I was feeling. Kyuhyun seemed shocked himself though impressed. It helped encourage me further.

“ _I_ targeted _him_ ,” I finished lamely. “He didn't target me.”

It was a half truth. I found him first, was the first to claim to want more than an owner/pet relationship, gave him the hope that it was possible to want more from this situation.

“How do you figure?” Heechul retaliated.

“I could've left him on the street. I didn't have to bring him home. I'm very thankful fate led me to him that night. He's saved me just as much as I've saved him, if not more.”

“Oh, _please_. Don't make me gag.”

“I think what he's trying to say, Heechul, is that I'm here to stay so you might as well get used to it. Play nice even,” Kyuhyun smiled.

“And what makes you think you're good enough for him?” Heechul asked incredulously.

“I never claimed to be. Nobody's good enough for him but _he_ thinks I'm good enough and that's all that matters.”

Heechul wasn't ready to give in and call it quits, I could tell. A tirade of questions were waiting behind that sharp tongue of his. How long before the dam broke? Not long.

“What's Teuk's favorite color?” he quizzed rapidly.

“He doesn't have one.”

“Ha! Wrong! It's white!”

“White isn't a color, it's a shade,” Kyuhyun retorted.

“What's his favorite animal?”

“Kittens,” Kyuhyun replied with a small, amused smile, trying to keep it hidden from Heechul. “And he's not a morning person, prefers showers over baths, only buys coconut shampoo, hums to himself while he cooks, must go down every grocery aisle just in case he forgot to write something down on his list and is afraid of scary movies yet can't help but watch to see what happens next so he doesn't feel left out. What else do you want from me?”

I couldn't take it anymore. Padding to the couch, I took a seat between them but pivoted to face Heechul. I grabbed his hand and cradled it in both of mine.

“Chullie, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but be mad at me, not him. He hasn't done anything to anger you. Please be happy for me? Donghae and Eunhyuk are. They like him. _I_ really like him.”

I felt Kyuhyun shifting behind me and I gasped when his arms circled my waist and his hot breath moistened my neck.

“I really like you too,” he purred, pressing a kiss to my skin.

I flushed all over but mostly because this was taking place in front of one of my best friends.

“Yah, get a room,” he mumbled, lifting a foot to push me further into Kyuhyun's hold.

Kyuhyun pulled me back with him to his side of the couch. Something in the air shifted and I had a notion Heechul's ire had lessened incredibly.

“I won't give my blessing yet,” he muttered. “Not until he proves himself.”

“What do I need to do?” Kyuhyun asked curiously, rubbing his face into my neck.

I was snuggled against his chest, my back to his front, his legs framing my body. His arms were wrapped around my torso protectively.

“I haven't figured it out yet,” he pouted with a huff.

An idea came to mind and I smiled before giving it a try.

“Chullie?”

“Hm?”

“Did Donghae happen to tell you what I was wearing when Kyuhyun and I went over there for dinner?”

“Pfft, no. Why would I need to know what you were wearing? Matching outfits?”

“I was wearing a blue hoodie,” I grinned.

His reaction was hilarious and everything I hoped it would be. His arms flung out to grip the couch, snapping up into a sitting position with wide eyes and an open mouth. He glanced from Kyuhyun to me about a dozen times before finally finding his voice.

“He has you wearing _color_?” he sputtered.

“And coloring with crayons,” Kyuhyun chimed in, brushing his knuckles along my jaw.

“But … not even _Kangin_ had you in color,” Heechul shrieked.

Kyuhyun's arms tightened around me.

“I didn't know that,” he whispered into my ear.

I always had a hunch Kyuhyun thought my white obsession had kicked into gear after Kangin had abandoned me but that wasn't the case. I'd always had an infatuation with white, something that had irked Kangin greatly.

“Like I said, Heechul. He's saved me just as much as I've saved him. Even more so.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	25. No Longer a Stray

Heechul had been so worked up over Kyuhyun that he never once asked about the kitten while he was over. He couldn't have asked for better proof of Kyuhyun's feelings and intentions towards me, the color thing pretty much settling the issue in my opinion. Seeing the light display he had bought me was the icing on the cake. He wasn't exactly friendly with Kyuhyun by the time he left but he wasn't as condescending or doubtful. Just his normal snarky self, a few notches away from the best I could hope for.

It was barely evening when Heechul excused himself from our apartment, giving my boyfriend one final warning before closing the door behind himself. I knew it wouldn't be the last we heard from him, but for the moment I breathed a sigh of relief. Kyuhyun and I still had a good part of the day to spend together. He pulled me into his body as soon as the door clicked shut. I buried my face in his chest as he ran a hand through my hair.

“I'm surprised how vocal you were,” he whispered down at me.

“I couldn't stand the thought of him being mean to you for no reason.”

He bent at the knees so he could peer into my face.

“You know … you standing up for me like that was cute. Hot even. Thanks.”

I felt my face heat up but he didn't give me the chance to shy away. He cradled my face in his large hands and peppered my face with soft kisses. I giggled, the brush of his lips tickling my skin. Gripping his shirt tightly, I pulled him closer as his lips moved more firmly along the line of my jaw.

“Ah … Kyuhyun,” I panted.

“Bedroom?”

“Hn,” I nodded as his mouth finally found me.

I rolled up onto my toes and slid my arms around his neck. His lips molded to mine before his tongue swept along my bottom lip asking for entry. I parted my lips to give it to him but he nibbled on my flesh instead. I whimpered, which turned into a gasp when he bent down, hooked his hands under my thighs and hoisted me up. I circled my legs around his waist, having no other option. His arms snaked up my back to help keep me steady as he carried me down the hall and into the bedroom, tongue mapping out my mouth the entire way. We tumbled over onto the bed, Kyuhyun laying on top of me. He tangled his fingers into my hair and tilted his head for a deeper angle. I moaned loudly.

Musical notes chimed and I figured it was the heavens opening up to give us romantic background music. Kyuhyun seemed slightly distracted so it wasn't just in my head. He pulled away to rub his nose along mine.

“Phone, LeeLee,” he whispered huskily.

“What?” I asked dazedly, leaning up to capture his bottom lip in my mouth.

He chuckled before speaking again.

“Your phone … in your pocket. It's going off,” he informed.

“Leave it,” I replied.

“It's distracting.”

I fell to our bed with a huff, arching my back to shove my hand into my pocket to retrieve my mood breaking cell phone. I glanced at the caller ID before flipping it open.

“Hey, Wookie, what's up?” I asked curiously.

My eyes widened when I realized that just because I had answered the phone, didn't mean Kyuhyun was done with me. He grabbed my free hand and began licking the tips of my fingers sensually.

“Hey, Teukie. Got any plans tonight?” he asked cheerfully.

“Uh … no?”

I was distracted by Kyuhyun's full lips closing around two of my fingers to start sucking on the pads of my fingertips.

“Great! Can I come meet the kitty? We can have our movie night.”

“Um … one moment.”

“Sure.”

I pressed my phone into my shoulder to drown out the noise of Kyuhyun and I talking. It took a few heartbeats for me to start, stroking the flat of his tongue before pulling myself together.

“Wookie wants to come over and meet you,” I said in a rush.

He blinked up at me innocently, “He's already met me.”

“ _Fluffy_ you,” I clarified.

“Oh!” he said in a moment of understanding, nuzzling the palm of my hand. “Alright then. I guess I can deal with being kitty for a night. Don't forget to feed me.”

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

I finished my conversation with Ryeowook before hanging up and setting my phone on the nightstand.

“I don't suppose we have time to continue,” he asked rhetorically with a grimace.

“Sorry,” I replied sheepishly, stroking the side of his face. “He's on his way over now.”

He expelled a deep sigh and fell to the bed next to me.

“Don't forget the collar. I'm no longer a stray, you know.”

I rolled into his side with a smile.

“It's been a while since you've been kitty,” I said a bit excitedly.

“I thought you preferred me human,” he mused, wrapping his arm around me.

“I do, but you're cute as a kitten too,” I explained, poking his cheek playfully.

“Another thing to look forward to tonight,” he laughed before sitting up. “You go get the collar. I'll … change.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	26. Selective Hearing

We kept all of Kyu's kitty stuff in the closet in the office. I looped my hand through his little white collar and scooped up his water and food dishes along with some of the toys I had decided to keep. On my way to the kitchen, I scattered the toys around about the hall and living room. I filled his water dish with fresh water from the kitchen faucet and set both bowls on the floor near the wall.

I heard the scampering of little claws on the hardwood floor of the hall and turned to see Kyu pouncing down it. He picked up speed once he saw he had my attention. He tried to slow to make the turn into the kitchen, precious tiny feet moving uselessly against the wood. He continued to slide on his behind, built up momentum sending him into the wall with a soft thud.

“Oh, KyuKyu!” I grimaced with a laugh as I went to go fetch him.

If that hadn't been the cutest thing ever. I rounded the corner to see him sprawled on his back, front paws curled over his chest. He blinked up at me lazily as I approached.

“Are you okay?” I cooed, bending down to scoop him up.

Wrapping him up in my arms, I massaged his belly as I held him like a baby, striding back into the kitchen.

“I really should buy a rug or two so you can move around easier,” I thought aloud.

He mewled at me and I assumed he agreed. I fastened his collar on him and set him back down so I could start preparing dinner. He protested at first, clawing at my leg but stopped once he realized what I was doing. Rifling through the drawers, I tried to find something to help entertain Kyu while I was cooking since he refused to go play with any of the toys I left lying around. I found a random length of yarn next to the scissors and dangled it near my side as I hovered over the stove. He batted at it playfully, snagging it a few times with his claws. A knock sounded on the door and I peered down at Kyu.

“Ready to get smothered with cuddles?” I asked with a smile.

He sneezed on my sock, head twisting violently with every release.

“Cute. Wanna get the door for me? No? I'll get it. You watch the food.”

I padded around the corner to step into the entryway, unlocking the door and opening it for Ryeowook.

“Teukie!” he beamed with bright eyes. “I brought gifts for kitty.”

“Aw you didn't have to do that,” I smiled, stepping to the side to let him in.

His eyes darted across the floor in search of kitty Kyu. He slipped out of his shoes and shuffled into the kitchen to set two plastic packaged bags on the table.

“Smells good, Teuk. Where's the fluffy? What's his name? Is it a he?” he asked excitedly.

“Thanks. I don't know, he was just in here with me. His name is Kyu, yes he's a he.”

“That's odd. Isn't that short for your boyfriend's name?”

“His cat,” I chuckled with a shrug.

“Must get confusing keeping them straight.”

“Not really,” I replied simply.

“Where _is_ Kyuhyun?”

I grabbed the dishes from the stove with pot holders and set them on the place mats on the table.

“He's out with friends,” I lied easily.

“That's too bad. He could've stayed for movie night,” Wook pouted as he took a seat at the table after I indicated for him to do so.

“I have a feeling the movies we will be watching aren't his preferred genre. He seems to be into horror films at the moment.”

“Yesung have something to do with that?”

“You know it.”

“Do you really have a kitten or did you make it up?” Wook questioned, leaning to the side to scan the floor for kitty movement.

“He'll show up soon. He never misses a meal. Go ahead and start eating. I'll hunt him down.”

I scooped some of the stir fry I had made into his food dish and held it in my hands as I began to search him out.

“KyuKyu. Where are you? Why so shy suddenly?” I called, glancing around the living room quickly before starting down the hall.

He wasn't in the office or bathroom. I was just about to check out the bedroom when Ryeowook's voice drifting from the kitchen stopped me.

“Ooh. He's _adorable_ ,” he squealed.

I turned on my heel and strolled back into the kitchen to see Ryeowook turned in his chair with Kyu attached to his pant leg.

“Isn't he?” I breathed with a smile. “You can pick him up. He only bites me. He'll probably go for your food though.”

Placing his food dish down on the table, I slid into the seat next to Wook to watch him pick Kyu up. He propped Kyu up on the table so we could get a better look at him. He dove straight for his food to begin scarfing it down.

“Hungry much?” Wook laughed.

“He always eats like it's been ages or like he'll never get another chance,” I explained as I ran my hand down his spine.

“It reminds me of how Kyuhyun eats at the cafe. Like owner like pet, huh? Well he's simply cute. I like his coloring.”

“Me too.”

“You don't wish he was all white?” Wook asked as he joined me in petting Kyu while he ate.

“Not at all. I think it's cute just his paws are white. Black suits him.”

Wook and I chatted about random things over dinner, mostly related to work. After Kyu polished off his meal he padded over to my plate to poke his nose into my serving. Wook got a good kick out of it. I served him up some more, but he liked sharing my plate instead.

“For being Kyuhyun's cat, he seems to like you just fine,” Ryeowook observed.

“We get on dashingly,” I agreed. “It may or may not have something to do with the fact that I'm the one that cooks around here. Ready for movies?”

He nodded vigorously and I cleared the table quickly, placing the dirty dishes in the sink and putting the pot back on the stove with the lid on to take care of later. With the food still in Kyu's dish, I set it next to his water so he had the opportunity to snack on it whenever the mood struck. I stashed the treats in the pantry that Wook had brought over for Kyu. The purple package intrigued me. The ingredients included catnip and I wondered what effect that would have on my kitty boyfriend. Wook led the way into the living room after I scooped Kyu up in my arms to bring him along.

“Assume the position!” he declared, thrusting a fist into the air.

Ryeowook and I have been having these movie nights regularly ever since he started working at the cafe. We would share the couch, him lying against one arm with me propped against the other, our legs stretched out between us. We would snuggle up under a blanket and cry our eyes out watching romantic chick flicks. It was our guilty pleasure. We never told the guys at work, claiming to go window shopping or … baking the night away instead. Some activity that didn't need fruit to prove our labors. Everything 'baked' had surely been consumed.

The blue glow of the television filled the otherwise dark living room. Kyuhyun was curled up on my chest napping as Ryeowook and I sniffled quietly, box of tissue resting between us with our red puffy eyes glued to the screen. I was glad Kyu was too busy twitching in his sleep to notice me bawling my eyes out.

“This part gets me every time,” Wook stuttered.

“Me too,” I agreed, bringing my wad of tissue up to my face, preparing myself for the inevitable waterworks.

Kyuhyun stretched languidly, his fluffy paws tickling my chin. I rested my free hand on the curve of his spine and his twinkling eyes blinked up at me. He tilted his head to the side and stood to his feet. I chuckled when his wet nose bumped along my cheek, his scratchy tongue licking at my tears.

“Aw adorable! Someone doesn't like to see their master crying,” Wook claimed.

“I'm not his master. Kyuhyun is.”

The credits on our third movie were rolling but we were both watching Kyu instead.

“Speaking of Kyuhyun,” Ryeowook sang conspiratorially.

“What about him?” I asked, distracted with making faces at Kyuhyun as he batted playfully at my face, tail twitching back and forth behind him.

“Do you love him?”

I bit my tongue and flinched. I peered down at Kyu to see he had froze completely, small eyes as wide as they could be, locked on mine. I felt the sharpness of his claws through my shirt as they dug into my chest.

“It's a bit soon for that word, don't you think?” I asked softly, eyes never leaving the small body standing stiffly on my chest.

I didn't want to have this conversation. Not with Kyu right here to overhear it all.

“Not really. He's been living here for several months now. You should have some sort of idea by now.”

“Want to watch another one?” I asked Wook, not so discreetly changing the subject.

He caught my drift and dropped any further questions he may have had. It wasn't his fault and I didn't blame him in any way. How was he to know the object of my supposed affections was right in front of him? It's not like I hadn't thought about it. The notion had crossed my mind once or twice, possibly a million times. I loved Kyuhyun, but I wasn't ready to say it out loud, not even to myself. Not even in a whisper with an airplane going by while the neighbors across the street mowed their lawn as an ambulance roared down the street. It was something reserved for my head for now. For some reason, I don't think he was ready to hear it. So I would wait. Keep it to myself until it ate away at me from the inside and forced its way out. Hopefully it would wait long enough for Kyuhyun to get ready to face it.

Ryeowook didn't stay to watch another movie, claiming he was cried out. I asked if he wanted any of the leftovers and he politely declined. He didn't want to take food away from Kyuhyun when he got back from hanging out with his friends. After closing the door, I spun around to find a naked Kyuhyun standing in the kitchen, eyes still as wide as saucers.

“Can we make a new rule stating human Kyuhyun ignores all that kitty Kyu picks up in conversations I have with my friends?” I asked hopefully.

“This is a bit big to ignore,” he replied, lips barely moving.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	27. Perfect

“But I'll give it a try,” he finished. “Though your heartbeat may have given you away.”

I turned away to hide my red face. He could assume what he wanted. I wasn't going to say it. He couldn't make me either. Neither deny nor confirm. I wasn't ready to admit it vocally in any way. He would just have to wait. We had never discussed what the future might hold for us, what more we wanted out of this. Love was expected in relationships, right? Maybe. I had a feeling we were creeping up on a serious sit-down-and-talk day sometime soon. First with Heechul stirring things up and now Ryeowook's curious question. But Kyuhyun agreed to try and ignore it. I would just have to trust he would do that to the best of his ability. Let the cards fall where they may. I'd wait to cross that bridge when we came to it.

I released the breath I had been holding when I heard Kyuhyun pace down the hall. I figured he was in search of clothes. Opening the fridge, I stashed the container with tonight's leftovers onto the middle shelf. I filled the sink with soapy hot water so I could start on the dishes, needing to do something with my hands to help take my mind off of things. So lost in those thoughts I was trying to ignore, I didn't even hear Kyuhyun come up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and placed his chin on my shoulder.

“Can I help?” he asked softly.

I smiled. See? We could ignore this awkward moment, move past it. We were doing beautifully already.

“Sure. You rinse and dry since I'm already elbow deep.”

“Deal.”

He turned the faucet so it was hovering over his sink bin. I placed clean dishes in his side and he rinsed them before placing them in the wire rack on the counter next to the sink to drip dry while they waited to be finished with a towel.

“Chick flicks, huh?” he teased through a grin.

“Oh go ahead,” I rolled my eyes with a smile. “Get in your jabs now.”

“You guys like crying together?”

“It's refreshing. A good release. We watch other movies too. We were just due for a crying day, that's all.”

“Sure, sure,” he laughed.

I leaned my body into him to give him a nudge.

“All joking aside, you two were cute. Puffy eyes, red noses and all.”

“Oh thanks. And what were you dreaming of while using me as your own personal pillow? You were twitching a lot.”

“So I twitch in my sleep. I can't help it,” he pouted. “You do make a pretty good pillow, though.”

I laughed, reaching into his sink bin to place a glass gently on the bottom next to a plate. His hand darted out to clasp around my wrist before I could retreat back to my side. My gaze fixated on his hold on me before following his arm up to his shoulder, along his neck, the line of his jaw to finally meet his eyes.

“Kyuhyun?”

He turned his body toward me, chest bumping my shoulder as he brought his other hand up to cup the side of my face. His hand was cold and wet from rinsing dishes but I didn't mind. My heart was beginning to pound harshly behind my ribcage. His hand slid down to my chin, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. I couldn't wait for him to make the move. I rolled up onto my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. He groaned into my mouth, not wasting any time in slipping his tongue inside to take control of things. His hands wrenched my arms from the sink to wrap them around his neck. Obviously he didn't care about getting suds in his hair. The bubbles slid down my arms and onto his bare shoulders. He had only put on pajama pants after Wook left. I wound my fingers in his hair to pull him closer, transferring white suds to his dark tresses.

Tugging on his hair spurred him on further, the atmosphere heating up fast. He pulled us down to the floor until I was lying on my back with him between my legs. Us and the kitchen was turning into something of a tradition. It worked well with his love for food.

“Now would be a good time to start that begging, LeeLee.”

“No fair,” I forced out as he trailed hot kisses down my throat. “It didn't seem like you were going to make me beg earlier.”

“I would have.”

“Why are you being so persistent, or is it stubborn? You know what I want. You want it too.”

“Yeah. Tell me.

“I'm not going to ask you to fuck me, Kyuhyun. It's more than that to me,” I whispered shyly, turning my head to the side.

His lips paused on my collarbone and I dropped my arms to the wood of the floor, palms pressed into the hardness. His nose nudged my neck before he turned my face to look down at me. His face was one of complete seriousness. My heart thumped erratically.

“This means more than that to me too,” he said, bending down to kiss my forehead. “Tell me you want me to make love to you.”

I balked. My heart stopped, I'm pretty sure. It … this … what? It wasn't exactly a confession but it sort of was, wasn't it? Not from his side of things but mine. Or maybe it was just a nicer way to say 'do me'?

“It's not the same as saying the phrase, LeeLee. I know you'll say it when you're ready, but honestly your body gave you away and I already knew. This is the act. Tell me what you want.”

I deflated a bit. My own body had stolen my thunder, not that I was ready to light up a stormy sky with my confession. Still, he didn't seem freaked out at all. As I swam in my own head, he tugged my shirt off and slipped it under my head to make me more comfortable. This day was all so much to handle. The night was starting to take that same direction, though in a better light. Still a lot to take in.

“Kyuhyun,” I started firmly before my words faded into a hushed whisper. “Make love to me.”

He lowered his mouth to kiss me again. It was slow, deep and passionate. It felt like he was trying to convey his feelings in this one gesture. Through all this, not once had either of us mentioned where he stood on the whole L word. Not that I had said it but he knew. He hadn't even hinted towards which side of the fence he was on. I pushed my thoughts away, not wanting to take away from the moment.

Kyuhyun's fingers ran down my chest, teasing over my nipples, to begin undressing my lower half. I arched off the floor, hands on his shoulders, so he could slip my pants down off my hips. He pushed them down my legs and freed one ankle, leaving the garments hooked around the other. I left them there as well.

This wasn't about speed or sex. We were sharing something, Kyuhyun and I. Baring our souls. Each kiss and touch meant something, held something deeper than just pleasure. They still held want, need, desire, but it was so much more than that.

He stretched me with gentle strokes of his slender fingers, looking down at me the whole time. I didn't shy away from his gaze. I clutched at the back of his neck as I rocked to meet his nudges.

“You're beautiful,” he whispered down at me.

I opened my eyes to look up at him, face already flushed from the heat between us, thank goodness.

“Kyuhyun,” I panted softly. “Now.”

His fingers left me to be replaced with something much larger and warmer. My body welcomed him eagerly, taking him in completely. He didn't move, choosing instead to pepper my face with gentle kisses as he sat fully inside me. I moved my hands down to his waist as I searched blindly for his lips with my own. He took pity on me and pressed his lips to mine. I reached around and dug my fingertips into the tops of his buttocks, urging him to start moving.

It was slow but intense. Not once did I ask him to go faster. I was perfectly fine with the pace he had set. I could feel every inch of him move in and out of me, every twitch and pulse. It was perfect. All of it. Even the fact that I was sprawled out on the kitchen floor with my legs spread wide, arms wrapped around his shoulders and hands tangled in his hair. The suds and bubbles were long gone. Something about our first time being in the kitchen. We ate together here, he watched me cook, we did the dishes together, our second sexual encounter after the blur that was our first night together occurred here. Yes. This was right.

Kyuhyun grabbed one of my thighs to hook my leg around his waist, using the other to keep himself propped against the floor. The new position allowed him a deeper angle. I arched off the floor and my jaw fell in a silent cry. The deep angle had him hitting that spot inside me that made me whine in a higher pitch. His hot breath wafted over my collarbones, sending goosebumps of bliss rippling out over my skin. He rolled his hips into my body, grinding them down against me. I came with a cry of his name, releasing my pleasure all over my stomach.

He granted me a moment to catch my breath before he gathered me up into his arms and repositioned us so I was sitting in his lap, my legs framing his body. He rocked into me as he kissed me hungrily. I moaned into his mouth as his pace slowly built up. I pulled away to hang my head on his shoulder. Large hands circled my waist to help guide him into my body. My hands clutched at his shoulders and chest, leaving red marks as aftershocks of pleasure racked my body with every thrust of his hips. I was breathing into his ear heavily, gasps and pants forced out of my throat. Something came over me and I began to suck and bite at the skin of his neck. He grunted at my ministrations, thrusting with more vigor each time my teeth closed down around a patch of his sweat slicked, salty flesh. I bit down hard on the fleshy part of his shoulder and he emptied himself inside me with a final snap of his hips.

“Ah … Leeteuk …”

My body slackened and he wrapped his arms around my back to prevent me from collapsing. I leaned forward instead, melting into his chest with my head still on his shoulder but turned into his neck. I wiggled my foot to finally rid myself of my pants. He brushed my damp hair off my face and dipped his head down to kiss me firmly.

“We can cross the kitchen off that list of mine. Though I'm sure the table is jealous of the floor.”

“We can add the table,” I whispered breathlessly.

He snorted into my hair and hugged me close. I smiled into his neck and tightened my arms around his torso.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	28. Feelings

A couple days passed and my health returned to how it once was. No more bags under my eyes, no more dark circles. There were no remnants of the deterioration that had taken place during the time Kyu had been ignoring me and refusing to turn human.

The day after our first time together, I awoke to a phone call from Sungmin telling me I could start work that night. It had merely been a test. I went to the restaurant nearest our apartment, the one I would be working at, after it had closed for the night and made drinks as Sungmin ordered them, testing my bartending skills and knowledge. I made each drink perfectly and he offered me the job officially after that. I would only work nights at his restaurant when I did work there a few nights a week. Hangeng could have me for the rest of the available time during the week.

Kyuhyun and my relationship was as normal as possible for a couple where one half of the pair could turn into a four legged feline. Henry returned to work more confident than ever and void of stitches. Heechul began spending time at the cafe on a regular basis. I didn't know if he was there to keep tabs on me or flirt with Hangeng. I figured, since I couldn't tell either way, it was a good thing.

 

 

I was on my way back home from a morning shift at the cafe, looking forward to a day of lounging with Kyuhyun. Reaching the landing of my floor, I turned right out of the stairwell and into the hall. I only managed a few steps before I heard a door open, followed by laughter and then I stumbled to the left when something bumped into me.

“Sor- … Teukie, hyung?” a startled voice stammered.

Wait a minute. I knew that voice. I turned to the right to see who it was, though I had a pretty good idea.

“Mochi?” I questioned. “What are you doing here?”

I glanced over his shoulder to see Kibum leaning against his open door with a smirk. Henry's face blushed furiously and I found myself confused.

“You know Kibum?” I asked with a smile. Small world.

“Uh … yeah. We met at college. We have a few of the same classes.”

“Then I asked him out and now he's my boyfriend,” Kibum chirped up with a grin.

I blinked owlishly. Were _all_ the workers from the cafe _gay_? What were the odds?

“How long have you guys been dating?” I asked curiously.

“A couple months,” Henry replied.

“That's great! I'm happy for you two. I'm surprised I haven't bumped into you sooner, Mochi.”

“Thanks. I'm surprised too.”

We all chatted for a bit more before Henry remembered he had been leaving to start his shift at the cafe. I bid him goodbye along with Kibum before continuing on my way to my door.

Kyuhyun wasn't home. He left a note for me like he always did when he went out, letting me know where he went and marked it with the time he had written it. This one claimed that he had gone out to play, tired of owning other players online on the game he liked to play. I smiled as I emptied my pockets onto the kitchen table. I was sort of hoping to catch him still sleeping or in the shower. Yesterday when I had come home from my morning shift, I had discovered him in the shower and it had turned into something quite enjoyable. I was looking forward to an encore event.

I strode into the living room and paused. My eyes strayed to the floor, unmoving. I heard the door open behind me and knew Kyuhyun had arrived back home.

“Kyuhyun? What's _that_?” I asked as I raised an arm to point to the floor in front of the coffee table.

“It's blue. Go introduce yourself. Don't be afraid. It won't bite.”

Kyuhyun had purchased a rug for the living room and a runner for the hallway in the span that I had been at work. I walked into the living room and poked it with my toe. The color was deep and rich, almost a royal blue, but not too much to deal with. I smiled slightly and took a seat on the floor in the middle of the rug, turning to face him as I ran my hands over it. It was super soft.

“I've been meaning to buy rugs.”

“Beat you to it. Now I won't slide all over the place when kitty.”

“Didn't like bumping into walls?” I asked as he joined me on the floor.

“Not particularly.”

“Why blue?” I dropped my head to absorb the color again.

“I'm beginning to think it's your favorite color. You've pretty much hijacked my blue hoodie. It's the sweater you always go for.”

I hadn't even realized. Kyuhyun was always observant, though. Almost calculating.

“I like them,” I beamed.

“Good,” he smiled back. “I threw away the receipt.”

“Remember Donghae and Eunhyuk are coming over.”

“I know.”

“I'm sorry you have to be kitty again.”

“I don't mind,” he shrugged. “I'm sure they'll want to play so it should be fun. That's why I got the rugs.”

“Why do you seem so excited?” I asked with an amused chuckle.

“I'll get to play for like … the rest of the night,” he replied in an obvious sort of tone.

“If you want to play so bad, I can play with you. You don't have to wait for company,” I said sullenly.

“I prefer to stay human when I play with you,” he winked slyly.

“That's not fair,” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I want kitty time too if you're so eager to play.”

“Alright, alright. We'll play more,” he caved with a smile.

“Do you honestly not like being kitty around me?” I asked in all seriousness.

“It's not that. I just prefer to be human when we're together.”

I dropped the subject and laid back against the new rug. Moments of silence passed before Kyuhyun spoke up.

“LeeLee?”

“Hm?” I hummed as I pet the rug idly with my fingers.

“Are we ever going to talk about what Ryeowook brought up that night?” he asked slowly.

I froze, staring up at the ceiling. This was it. The talk. What did we want out of this relationship, where did we stand?

“Do you want to?” I asked softly.

“Not if you don't want to.”

“I thought you said my body gave me away.”

“It did.”

“So then you already know.”

“What … what do you wa-”

“What about you? You never hinted to your feelings on the subject.”

There was silence between us. Long and suffering. I slipped my eyes closed as my heart fell to the floor beneath me with a thud. I felt the hot tears prickling the corners of my eyes.

“I shouldn't have brought it up,” he mumbled dismissively.

 _No. You shouldn't._ I responded in my head, fingers clutching the fabric of the rug.

“It's not that I don't have feelings for you. Of course I do. How couldn't I? You must know that I do. But love-”

“Don't,” I cut in with a gasp.

I was having a hard time breathing. Such a simple, passive task had me laboring with the effort. Something was clenching an icy grip around my heart. Tight. Unbearable. Pain radiated from its epicenter.

“LeeLee I-”

“No. I can't do this.”

I made to get up. To flee from the apartment altogether. But Kyuhyun flung his body across mine, pinning me down in place. His large hands splayed against my wrists to press them into the carpet. I blinked up at him, tears in my eyes, a few escaping down the sides of my face. I looked away in shame.

“Leeteuk. Just give me time. I've never been in love before. I don't know what it all means. You had someone before me that you felt that way towards. Sure, I had a boyfriend but it never got as serious as this. I know you aren't ready to say it yet. That you can't. I'll honor and respect your reasons. I can't even fathom it yet. How … _why_ would you want to be with me? What do I have to offer you?”

“What do you want out of this, Kyuhyun?” I asked in a flat monotone.

“You. I just want you.”

“For how long? To what end?”

“Let's start with always and go from there. Unless you prefer forever? I'm flexible. I may not have a handle on what I'm feeling, but I know, at the very least, that I don't want to be without you. Isn't that enough?”

It was. For now. I nodded slowly as I sucked on my bottom lip, still averting my eyes. He bent down to nuzzle his face into my neck and I leaned in to him.

“I like you a lot, Leeteuk,” he confessed. “More than I've liked anyone.”

A small smile pulled at my lips, the grip on my heart lessening. He allowed me to wrap my arms around his shoulders.

“I like you a lot too.”

It was as much as either of us was ready and willing to admit. Kyuhyun knew that I loved him but couldn't say it outright. I knew Kyuhyun had feelings for me but couldn't give them a name. Not just yet.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 


	29. Catnip

Kyuhyun tried to initiate an intimate scene after that. I didn't refuse. I never did. He had an insatiable appetite, not just where food was concerned. I was all too willing to help remedy that issue as best I could. He managed to get my shirt off, thoroughly muss my hair and get my whole body to flush at his ministrations before a cheerful knock sounded on the door.

“Shit,” he hissed.

“Ah! You can't be here!” I whispered urgently, tugging my shirt back on as I pushed at his shoulders.

“Am I out with friends again?” he questioned as he tried to put my hair back to rights.

“I have no idea where you went. All I know is there's supposed to be a kitty running amok in the apartment.”

“Running amok. Got it.”

He sprang to his feet and darted down the hallway. I found it amusing he didn't like to change in front of me after showing me that first night. I rolled to my feet and patted myself down as I strolled to the door. I opened it to reveal Donghae and Eunhyuk facing each other, standing very close as they smiled and whispered to one another.

“Come on in you two,” I greeted with a grin.

“Leeteuk. Why are you so disheveled?” Donghae asked with a quirked brow.

“I was napping,” I replied quickly.

“Relax, Hae. It's not like Kyuhyun and him were going at it. He's not here, remember?” Eunhyuk chimed in, playfully slapping his boyfriend's chest. “And even if he was and they were … let em.”

“So where's this kitty?” Donghae rolled his eyes as they finally stepped inside.

“Forgive me, but the kitty can wait. I smell food,” Eunhyuk said, practically drooling.

I laughed as they slipped off their shoes. Eunhyuk's stomach was almost as never ending as Kyuhyun's. I had made a pot roast so I could leave it to cook all day without having to worry about it, taking a leaf out of Ryeowook's book. Donghae and Eunhyuk took seats at the table across from one another, cooing in delight at the sight of Kyu sitting by his food bowl waiting for his portion of dinner.

“How is he still small?” Donghae asked as we watched Kyu eat while we took bites from our own plates.

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

“You got him months ago. He still looks like a kitten,” he clarified.

“Maybe he's a toy breed? Teacup kitty,” Eunhyuk shrugged as he shoved his third helping into his mouth.

Donghae didn't press further. They played with Kyu in the kitchen as I cleared away the plates, packed up the leftovers and did the dishes. Donghae offered to help, but I declined. I left food in Kyu's dish just in case he got hungry later on.

“Teukie, do you have any treats I can give him?” Eunhyuk asked excitedly.

“There's some in the pantry. Two unopened bags. You can choose either one.”

I glanced down to see Kyu's teeth attached to Eunhyuk's sock. Eunhyuk looked up to Donghae expectantly, sliding his foot along the floor, using Kyu like a mop on the hardwood. Donghae released a snort before standing to his feet to fetch a bag of treats. I noticed it was the purple package and I grew curious.

“How does he react to catnip?”

“I have no idea,” I replied, wiping off my soapy hands, finished with the dishes.

I leaned back against the counter to watch. Donghae tore the top of the package off and broke the seal, offering the open bag to his boyfriend. Eunhyuk reached inside to pull out a few treats, placing them on the table before gathering up one in his fingers. He bent down to offer Kyu the treat. It was the first time I saw him take pause when faced with something edible. His nose bumped against it as he sniffed it, whiskers twitching. His eyes swiveled up to me and I nodded slightly in encouragement. He snatched the brown cube away with his teeth and scarfed it down. Eunhyuk giggled in amusement. The last two treats vanished quicker than the first.

It didn't take long to figure out the effect catnip had on Kyu. It was a good thing he bought the rugs. He was zipping through the apartment like crazy, practically a blur as he bounced off the walls with excess energy. The three of us sat on the couch in the living room, the best seats in the place to watch him run streaking past every now and again as he made his rounds through the apartment.

“Maybe three was too many,” Donghae suggested.

“Nah, he's fine. Seems to be having fun,” Eunhyuk spoke up.

I held up the laser pointed for Eunhyuk. His eyes gleamed as he slowly reached for it, as if I were handing him the key to the universe. I let him help entertain Kyu so Donghae and I could have an adult conversation. It took Eunhyuk a couple tries before finally catching Kyu's attention. And so the hunt began.

“What's wrong, Teukie?” Donghae leaned over to whisper to me.

“What do you mean?” I asked innocently.

“Something's on your mind. I can tell,” he nudged me gently.

“He's got great reflexes!” Eunhyuk exclaimed, completely absorbed in play time.

Donghae patted Eunhyuk on the shoulder absently as he turned to me.

“How long did it take for you and Eunhyuk to say you loved each other?”

“Ahh,” he expelled knowingly. “I don't think you can use us as a standard, Leeteuk. We grew up together. We were together every day. The feelings had years to grow and bloom into something deep.”

“That's true,” I admitted, slumping into the corner of the couch.

“You and Kyuhyun hit a rough patch?” he asked softly.

I was pleased Eunhyuk was here to distract Kyu. Not to mention he was tuckering him out for the night.

“Not exactly,” I started with a sigh.

“Talk to me, Teuk,” Donghae requested, giving me the green light to unload on him.

“I feel that way … about him. But I can't say it out loud. Not yet. But Kyuhyun knows without me having to tell him. But … he doesn't know … he asked for more time. If a guy says he wants to be with you forever, that's got to be a good sign, right? Isn't that love?”

“Sounds like love to me,” he nodded. “It seems Kyuhyun just can't say it out loud yet either. Don't worry, Teukie. You two are crazy about each other. You'll both come around when you're ready. He's not going anywhere, so what's the rush? Just enjoy your time together. What's there to worry about?”

I smiled at him. He was right. What was I so worked up about? It was like the label argument all over again. He scooped up my hand and I squeezed it gratefully.

“Thanks, Hae.”

“Don't mention it. Remember Teuk, it's been a while since you've done the dating thing. It's a new experience each time.”

“Let's hope this is the last,” I whispered.

“Hae. We _have_ to get one of these!” Eunhyuk gushed.

I looked over to see he had moved from the couch to lay on his stomach to get closer to Kyu's level.

“Nice carpets, by the way,” Donghae muttered to me before addressing his counterpart.

“Kyuhyun,” I explained.

“Are you referring to the cat or laser pointer?” Hae asked Hyuk.

“Either. Both. No, the cat! We need to get a cat!”

“Our apartment isn't pet friendly. You can get a fish.”

“Fish are _boring_! We should move,” Eunhyuk pouted.

“Are you kidding? We're getting our place for a _steal_.”

“I want a kitty,” he mumbled.

“Maybe we can work out a deal with the landlord.”

“You'll give it a try?” Eunhyuk perked up.

“Anything for you, Hyukkie.”

“Yeah!”

 

Donghae allowed Eunhyuk to play with Kyu a half an hour more before announcing they should go. Eunhyuk put up a bit of a fight at first, but Kyu keeling over onto his side put a damper on his efforts. I walked them to the door, made sure to give them a container of leftovers and locked the door behind them. I strolled back into the living room expecting to find Kyu where I left him. Instead he was on the couch, in human form, naked and fully erect. My gaze lingered between his thighs as he spoke.

“Three treats jam packed with catnip was a bad idea,” he purred huskily as his hand came down to stroke himself.

My eyes widened and I swallowed harshly. His tone was pure sex, dripping with need.

“I know you have a morning shift at the cafe, but I'm afraid you're in for a long night. Time to cross a few items off our list.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	30. Demanding

He curled a finger at me, ordering me forward. I moved without realizing it. As if strings were attached to my body and he was pulling me closer, a puppet to be commanded as he wished. I came to a stop in front of him, wedging myself between his legs and the coffee table. His hand came down to grip the base of his jutting cock harshly.

“Strip for me, LeeLee,” he demanded deeply.

I knew he wasn't expecting an erotic show. Just a simple, slow tease. No music, no pole, no props. Something I was capable of. I tried to keep my eyes locked on his while I removed my clothes to heighten the intensity of the moment, but he began stroking himself slowly, capturing my undivided attention. He slid down into the couch further, spreading his thighs wider. I dropped my shirt to the floor and began working on my pants.

“Stop,” he growled.

I jumped, “But-”

“Don't argue with me.”

My arms hung at my sides awkwardly, only managing to unzip and unbutton my jeans. They hung low on my hips, trying their best to slide to the floor. If only gravity were greater. His eyes roamed down my body hungrily. I shifted under his predatory gaze.

“K-Kyuhyun?”

He sat up straight, scootching forward to the edge of the couch. I placed my hands on his shoulders, needing some sort of contact. He allowed it. His hands gripped my hips as he bent forward to rub his nose along my growing length through my clothes. I pressed into his touch and bit my lip as I watched him. He peeked up at me through his bangs, charcoal eyes darker than usual. I curled my fingers into his shoulders, digging my nails into them.

“Do you want me to finish undressing you?”

I nodded, brows furrowing in frustration as I bit my lip more harshly.

His nails grazed my sides as they traveled down to the top of my pants. He hooked his fingers into the band and pulled them down in one sweeping motion. My erection thumped against my belly as I stepped out of my clothes. Kyuhyun tossed them aside, flicked his eyes up to me and began his relentless teasing.

He stroked me slowly, using just his thumb and forefinger. I groaned. I had been sure there would be no foreplay. Not with how hard he already was. Why was he teasing me so much?

“Kyuhyun, please.”

“No.”

“N-no?”

“ _No_.”

I whimpered, hanging my head as I shifted restlessly. His hot breath wafted over my twitching flesh, moistening it. He trailed the tip of his nose around the tip and my breath hitched. His pink tongue swathed the head, coating it in stripes of his saliva. But he made no move to close his mouth around it. The tip of his tongue flicked at the slit before wiggling inside.

“Kyuhyun!”

I didn't understand what he was going for. Yes, he liked to tease and torment me but never to this degree. He never told me no before. It never took more than two helpless, desperate pleas. If he didn't progress further, I would snap. I already felt my resolve slipping.

His hands circled around me to grasp my butt roughly. He opened his mouth to stick his tongue out lewdly. Making sure he had eye contact, he swept the flat of his tongue up and down my shaft repetitively. I could feel, rather than see, the beads of precum he was coaxing out of me. They rolled down the swell of my glistening head to land on his tongue. I moaned needfully. That was it. My breaking point. The sight of him lapping up my precum like some rare delicacy.

One of my hands fisted into the back of his hair while the other wound around my cock in a firm hold. I angled my cock down the same time I pulled on his hair, causing his mouth to open just like I hoped. I thrust into his wet warmth and was shocked at the moan that came out of his body. He had done it on purpose. I played right into his plan.

“What was the reason behind that?” I questioned breathlessly.

He gave my cock a few sensual sucks before pulling off to answer, hand stroking rhythmically to keep me stimulated.

“I wanted to see how long before you'd buckle. See if you would actually take control yourself.”

“You're so mean. I don't like being in control. You know that.”

“I know. Just a small experiment. Don't worry. I like being in control just as much as you like being submissive, probably more so.”

I opened my mouth to reply but seeing him shaking his head had me closing it once more. It must've been the right move since a hint of a smile played on his lips. Kyuhyun leaned down again, opening his mouth to take in just the head of my cock.

“Mmm … Kyuhyun,” I moaned in pleasure as he sucked gently.

He brought his hands up to my wrists, circling his slender fingers around them to pull them away from his shoulders. Guiding my hands behind me, he pressed my palms against my ass, making me massage the cheeks as he gripped my hands with his own.

“Ah! Kyuhyun,” I gasped, furrowing my brows as I glanced down at him.

He released his hold on me with his mouth, giving a few last firm licks with his tongue, my cock bouncing against the warm muscle.

“Turn around, LeeLee,” he coaxed as he pressed his hands against my hips, applying more pressure to my left side to make me swivel.

I rotated in place, giving him my back and peering over my shoulder to see what he was up to

“Kyu-ah!”

Bent over. Exposed. I couldn't help the blush that crept up my neck to linger around my cheeks when I realized what Kyuhyun was eye level with. He had splayed a hand along my lower back, pushing down to force me to double over. My hands slapped against the coffee table, keeping me braced.

“Kyuhyun, what're you – oh!”

My cheeks were grasped and pulled apart. I could feel his warm breath wafting over my entrance. My blush was furious, heating up my face.

“What a sexy view.”

“Kyuhyun!”

“What?” he asked innocently, rolling the flesh of my ass around in his palms.

“This is embarrassing.”

“Is it? Then I'm sure you'll feel the same about _this_.”

My toes curled, back arched and fingernails clawed against the wood of the coffee table as I felt something hot and slick rub along my hole.

“Ahn!”

It only took a few licks for me to come to the conclusion that it was Kyuhyun's tongue. I was at a loss, mouth gaping like a fish. I had never experienced this before. Kangin had never done this. It was new and it felt strange. After a while it turned into a good sort of strange.

“Oh God,” I groaned, hanging my head between my arms when he wriggled his tongue past my tight ring of muscle.

He worked me open for several agonizingly blissful minutes. I was so turned on, I had created a puddle of precum on the coffee table. I felt a new bead of clear liquid form at the slit with each thrust of his devilish tongue.

“You ready for me LeeLee?” he asked huskily, lips grazing against me.

I nodded silently, chewing on my bottom lip as I felt him shift.

“I can't hear you,” he urged, rubbing the blunt head of his dick along my twitching hole.

“Y-yes Kyuhyun … ready,” I panted, still nodding.

My mouth fell open in a silent cry as he pushed. He stopped shortly after, only his head settled inside me.

“Kyuhyun?”

“Finish it LeeLee,” he demanded in a deep, rich timbre.

I felt another bead drip from the tip of my cock. I leaned back into him slowly, wanting to feel every inch of his length stretch and fill me as he slipped inside.

“Ahh ...”

I only stopped because I felt my ass mold against his hips, not able to press back any further. His hands came to rest on my lower back, adding slight pressure as he flexed into me, grinding into me slowly as he rotated his hips. A high pitched moan sounded through the air. It was needy and sensual and had come from me. Kyuhyun hummed low in his throat in reply.

“So needy, LeeLee. Don't worry, I have lots in store for you. You'll get yours. Eventually.”

I whimpered and dropped my head lower. I wanted mine _now_. I had work in the morning and my energy was already waning.

“Kyuhyun. Be nice.”

“I'm sorry,” he said in a sarcastic tone as he began to thrust shallowly, barely pulling away before pressing forward. “Am I being mean?”

“I … we … we can't be at this all night,” I pouted. “Schedule a marathon for a night I don't have to work the next morning.”

“Sorry. Too late. This is happening right now. You gave me catnip. Your fault.”

His pace was building, my body jerking with his movements.

“I didn't give it to you. Hyuk did … and Wook bought it,” I pointed out through gasps.

I felt my body trying its best to grip and hold onto him as he pulled out, eagerly opening back up to accept him when he thrust back in.

“Would you like me to go thank _them_ instead?”

“No! Stay here … only me,” I forced out, my body shaking under his ministrations. “Just thank me.”

“I'm trying. You don't seem grateful.”

“I am! I'm grateful.”

“Then let me hear just how grateful you can be.”

My lip was released from my teeth and my mouth fell open as he pulled out of me completely before shoving back in. A pleased noise escaped me, my first in a slew of incoherent, ramble-mingled pants and groans. Kyuhyun grabbed firm hold of me, spreading my cheeks further as he slid in and out of me. I felt the continuous tug and pull of my entrance around him, could feel my inner walls cling to him as best they could. My palms had become sweaty and I couldn't maintain a proper grip on the surface of the table. Kyuhyun, of course, came to my rescue, but only after he let me slip around for a few minutes.

Kyuhyun bent down and grasped my elbows, stopping the relentless snap of his hips. He pulled my arms behind me, pinning my wrists to the small of my back with his own hand, clutching my shoulder with the other to keep me level. He rode me that way, hard, for a good long while. Drove into me with such force that I had no choice but to cry out constantly, fulfilling my duty of showing him, letting him hear, how thankful I was. Sweat dripped from my bangs, causing my hair to cling to my face. A light layer covered my body. My legs were beginning to shake, knees knocking together with the effort to stay standing.

“You're trembling, LeeLee.” I could hear the smirk in his voice. “Do we need to change position?”

“Please,” I rasped, voice hoarse from all the straining and keening.

His hands wound around my chest, applying pressure to pull me back into him. I leaned against his body, resting my head on his shoulder and glanced up at him. He took a step backward and I stumbled to follow along. We sat on the couch. Kyuhyun was sitting straight with his back against the couch. I was in his lap, slumped against him.

“Kyuhyun … please … I don't know how much more I can take,” I groaned, head lolling along his shoulder.

He chuckled darkly into my ear, “I plan on hitting a few things on our list, LeeLee.”

“How about a couple, the table and the couch?” I suggested hopefully. “And it's your list. I'm just getting dragged along.”

“Are you not enjoying yourself?” he mused, gliding a fingertip over the head of my aching member.

“T-that's not it, Kyu. Just … please.”

“Table. Couch. Floor,” he said with finality.

I whimpered.

“Prop your feet on the couch.”

I pulled my trembling legs up, anchoring the heels of my feet on the edge of the cushion. A startled yelp was ripped from my sore throat as he snapped his hips up into me. I reached behind me, hands clambering to find purchase on the back of the sofa so I wouldn't be bucked out of his lap. His cock slid in and out of me deliciously. I hung my head, struggling to keep my legs in place due to his merciless onslaught. He tweaked my nipples, flicked the head of my dick with his fingers, whispered dirty words in my ear, reached between my thighs to tug on my balls, took pity on me in some moments to slow down and nuzzle my neck soothingly, turning those dirty words into soft, cooing praises.

He had slowed down greatly, barely rocking into me as he suckled on my collarbone. His hands were splayed across my stomach, sweat making us slide against one another.

“LeeLee?”

“Huh?” I half sobbed.

“Move for me.”

His body stilled below me and I blinked, bringing a shaky hand to my face to brush my soaking bangs away.

“Kyuhyun … I can't ...”

I was exhausted. I really wasn't good for anything at the moment other than being plowed into, which I wished he would just do. I could barely keep my eyes open, my entire body heavy.

“Yes you can, babe. Just for a bit. I want to _feel_ you,” he urged, breathing into my ear.

Weak. I was so weak. He should've suggested this at the beginning of this whole session. I rocked against him, grinding down, moving my hips in a circular motion instead of up and down. There was no way I could move along him so I went for friction. It was just as well. My pace started off slow but I soon grew desperate, more confident, motion quickening to press his cock into my prostate.

“Oh God … Kyuhyun.”

“You gonna cum? You're squeezing me awful tight.”

I nodded vigorously, brows furrowed in concentration and lip bitten. I was about to ask if it was alright for me to do so when his hands clamped onto my hips and shoved me down onto him just as he bucked his hips up, driving straight into my pleasure spot.

My mouth fell open in a silent cry. Colorful orbs filled my vision, my balls tightened and warmth surged forth from my cock. I produced a new spurt to match the throbs of Kyuhyun's cock until I had nothing left to offer.

If I was exhausted before, I was dead now. My eyes were closed and my chest heaved with labored breaths. Kyuhyun was trailing kisses along my neck, finger playing in the small puddles I had created on my stomach. He was still pulsing inside me and I groaned. We weren't through yet. It's not that I was angry about that fact, after all I wanted Kyuhyun to find his own release. It just depended on how active he expected me to be.

He slipped out of my body and I was being lifted into the air before something hard was being pressed against my back. I fought to open my eyelids, glancing up at the ceiling before closing them once more.

“Already … table.”

“No, you were using it to brace yourself. This is different.”

I was sprawled out across the coffee table, wood biting into my spine. I wouldn't last in this position for very long but I'd hold out for as long as I could for Kyuhyun. My back bowed off the table and I hissed through my teeth when he entered me again. I flopped my arms down to grip the edge to keep me steady as I met his thrusts. The least I could do was flex my arms to help create resistance. The wood creaked under our weight and I feared It would break.

“Kyuhyun. Floor,” I requested after I don't know how many minutes. My spine felt bruised.

I let out a contented sigh and peeked up at him when the harsh wood was exchanged for the soft fabric of the new rug.

“Still with me LeeLee?” he asked with a smirk, rubbing my thighs.

I nodded, eyes trained on him, “I'm here.”

“Good. Stay with me. You can sleep in a moment.”

He had remained inside me during the move to the floor. I whimpered in complaint when he rolled me onto my side and draped my upper leg over his shoulder, free hand gripping my other thigh as his other kept my leg in place. It was the first time I had ever found myself in such a position. The angle was different but wonderfully so. The curve of his cock inside me was stretching me in a new way, still driving into my overly sensitive prostate even though I had already cum.

“Kyu please … you don't have … I've already ...”

“I like watching you squirm, LeeLee. The sounds are just a bonus.”

I tried to glare up at him as best I could as my hand was clutching the rug near my face.

“Hurry … please ...”

He sped up his pace, railing into me so hard I thought we were going to start traveling across the floor until my head was thumping against the wall.

“More ...”

Why was I egging him on? What had come over me? I was still soft but I craved more. It still felt good and it was getting to the point that I didn't want him to stop. He was grunting, growling low in his throat. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Not just because I was tired but because the force of his body moving against mine was making them flutter. So closed they stayed.

“Harder Kyu.”

“Damn it LeeLee! I'm not a machine. Ahh … _shit_!”

“ … fooled … me.”

My back arched almost painfully, bending further than it ever had before. Kyuhyun's cock swelled inside me, filling and stretching me even more. His pace became irregular, just wanting to get there in any way possible.

“Kyuhyun … _please_ ,” I sobbed pitifully.

I gasped as I felt warmth fill me, his cock twitching crazily but his rhythm didn't let up. I keened loudly, sobbing and whimpering as my body was racked with more waves of pleasure than it knew what to do with. Sensory overload. It was as simple as that. He grunted with every spurt, snapping his hips forward. High pitched moans and whimpers continued to leave me as he slowed.

Kyuhyun came down to join me, pulling me against his chest as we lay on our sides.

“You'll be the death of me,” I panted.

“What a way to go, ne?”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	31. Kyuhyunnie

I woke up sore but pleasantly so, a small tingle radiating through my body, especially my lower body. Groaning, I rolled to my side, slowly opening my eyes to be faced with a very awake Kyuhyun. Now _that_ was something I didn't see every day … I mean … morning.

“Morning~” he grinned cheerily, a small twinkle in his eyes.

“Why are you up? Why are you so happy?”

He ignored the first question. “Who wouldn't be happy waking up next to you?”

A blush made its way to my cheeks and his grin only grew brighter.

“How do you feel?” he questioned, one of his large hands curling over the curve of my hip.

“My body is throbbing but in a dull sort of way,” I mumbled while rubbing my eyes.

“Want me to help you get ready for work? Shower first.”

“No funny business. I don't want to be late.”

Kyuhyun held up both hands in defense. “I swear.”

“No feeling me up under the guise of making sure I'm all clean.”

I could tell by the look on his face that he had planned on doing just that and I had busted him.

But that didn't stop him from trying still. I wondered if the catnip was still in his system. A supposed innocent shower turned into a touchy feely one, Kyuhyun doing most of said touching while I braced myself against the wall. I tried muffling my whimpers as Kyuhyun eased his fingers into me, making sure I was thoroughly cleansed. I wasn't sure if the steam around us was coming from the heat of the water or from us directly.

“Don't hide your voice from me, LeeLee~”

“Hmm!”

His fingers curled inside me just right, legs almost giving out under me. A strong arm wrapped around my waist kept me from crumpling to the floor as he pulled me into his chest.

“Kyuhyun!”

I didn't take him long to pull my orgasm from my body, releasing myself against the tiled shower wall.

 

 

By the time I got to work, I was about forty-five minutes late. It was all Kyuhyun's fault. I barged into the cafe, an excuse ready on my tongue only to swallow it when my eyes landed on the counter. Heechul was here. And he was definitely flirting with my boss. My eyes grew wide. I bet Hangeng hadn't even noticed I was late. Maybe I would have to thank Heechul later.

“Hangeng?” I called as I tightened the strings of my apron.

He merely waved a hand at me and I grinned.

As I worked preparing drinks, I couldn't help but snoop on all the romance around me. First with Heechul and Hangeng at the counter and then out on the floor with Yesung and Ryeowook. It just made me miss Kyuhyun, my body thrumming at the mere thought of him. I continued to make drinks with a small pout.

“Missing your boy toy, Teukie?” Heechul teased a few hours in.

“Hard not to with all the couples surrounding me,” I mumbled in reply, wiping down the counter with a fresh rag.

“And what is he too busy doing that he can't come visit you at work?” he questioned with a quirked brow.

“Heechul,” I started in a warning tone. “He has his own life too.”

My kitten of a boyfriend had gone back to bed after our shower since he had woken up early to see me off. If he didn't come see me during my shift at the cafe, he wouldn't be seeing me until evening or early morning. I had a shift at Sungmin's restaurant later. Unless I stopped by home for a small break between shifts.

“You should be his life.”

“He _is_ my life.”

Warmth spread through my body and I leaned across the counter to steal a quick kiss from Kyuhyun. He winked at me as we parted. Heechul rolled his eyes and returned his attention to my boss.

God I hoped things worked out between those two. It could be bad news for me if my boss and one of my best friends got together only to split in the end. I prayed that Heechul wasn't planning on just playing with Hangeng's heart. It seemed as if he had already fallen for the diva.

“Did you eat breakfast? Brunch?” I asked Kyuhyun as he slid into his usual stool at the counter.

“I did. Did you forget?” Another wink.

“I meant real food. Not me,” I whispered with a blush.

“Can I get an orange cranberry muffin from my muffin?” he asked with a charming grin.

I couldn't help but chuckle with a gentle roll of my eyes, opening the display case to retrieve the sweet treat for Kyuhyun. Hangeng had long since stopped charging Kyuhyun for whatever he may eat or drink while at the cafe. Same for Heechul. My bank account was surely grateful considering how much Kyuhyun could consume during the span of one of my shifts.

Work went by without a problem. Mochi had returned to washing dishes in the back and he appeared more chipper than ever. I wondered if Kibum had anything to do with that. The end of my shift came around to see Heechul was still there eating up each and every line that Hangeng had to offer him. Gosh I really wanted them to work out.

I bid everyone goodbye before leaving with Kyuhyun, deciding to head back home to spend my short break with him.

“Do you _have_ to bartend at the restaurant?” he asked, fingers running through my hair as we walked.

“I do if you want to continue to be fed as well as you have been.”

“But I'll be bored.”

“You can play that game on the laptop.”

“Owning noobs gets boring after a while.”

“I don't know what to tell you, Kyu. We sort of need the money,” I replied with a soft shrug.

“Sort of?” he asked hopefully.

“We need the money.”

“...it's not fair that you have to do all the work.”

“I don't mind, Kyuhyun. It's okay.”

Kyuhyun raked a hand through his hair as we entered our apartment building.

“Leeteuk!”

Releasing a yelp, jumping a foot in the air and dropping my keys, I swiveled to see who had called my name.

“Shindong! Back from vacation?” I greeted with a bright smile.

Kyuhyun watched with amusement as I spoke with our landlord until I finally introduced him.

“Shindong, this is my boyfriend, Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun, this is our landlord, Shindong.”

They shook hands as Shindong grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

“So this is the one that weaseled his way in, eh?” He was practically bubbling over with excitement. “You take care of our Teukie, you hear?” Shindong winked before shuffling off, no doubt wanting to go greet some of the other residents now that he was back.

“Friendly guy,” Kyuhyun mused.

“The friendliest. He's gonna want to meet kitty you as well.”

“Just give me the heads up and I'll turn fur ball when needed,” he replied, bending down to scoop up my keys.

Kyuhyun unlocked our door and gently pulled me inside. He asked how long I had before I needed to be at the restaurant. Glancing at the clock told me I had a little over two hours. I went into the bedroom to change, thinking about what I would make us for lunch.

“I want something with fish,” a voice purred into my ear as arms wound their way around my waist.

It was like he could read my mine. Sometimes I really thought he could. Pulling some comfy clothes on, not wanting to dirty my other uniform just in case something splattered while cooking, I assured him I'd make him his fish. I'd have to make sure that there were leftovers so he had something to eat for dinner while I was at work.

Kyuhyun hovered over my shoulder as he watched me cook, eyes hardly blinking. He brushed against me every now and then when he leaned in too close. It just made me smile, I didn't mind. He loved to watch me cook, especially when I needed a taste tester. He always volunteered for the job.

As he finished his fourth helping, I packed away the leftovers into the fridge and made myself a lunch to take to work.

“Want me to come pick you up at the end of your shift?”

“That would be nice,” I hummed. “Especially since you won't be coming to the cafe tomorrow. You have chores to do.”

The idea of Kyuhyun doing laundry by himself was cute in my head but I'd never be able to witness it because I know I'd offer to help if I were in the general vicinity. Or the image of him being kitty with little fluffy booties on so he could clean the hardwood floors. That was too precious to think about for too long.

Kyuhyun pecked me on both cheeks before I left for my bartending shift, already excited for him to come and pick me up from work so we could walk home together.

 

 

It was my first shift at Sungmin's restaurant where I wasn't being trained. That meant another bartender wasn't looking over my shoulder the entire night to make sure I was doing everything properly. There was just one other bartender working other than myself. His name was Chanyeol and we had met before. He was a really energetic and bubbly guy, but sometimes, when it was slow and I would glance in his direction, his smile would falter and I'd find a hint of sadness in his eyes. When he saw me looking his way, it would all disappear and I'd question whether or not I had really seen it. Either way, he was a great guy and the first friend I had made at this place.

“TeukTeuk! We get to work together!” he exclaimed while jumping in place.

I chuckled and nodded in response, joining him behind the bar. Sungmin chose that moment to pop into the picture and Chanyeol scuttled off to go do something. I quirked a brow at his retreating form before turning my attention to Sungmin with a bright smile.

“Hey, boss.”

“Please, Leeteuk, call me Sungmin,” he grinned as he joined us behind the bar, stepping closer to me.

“Even at work? Are you sure that's okay?”

“Of course it is. I'm the boss~”

I figured he was so close to me so I could make out his words over the din of the restaurant. But for some reason, the light touch to my arm had warning bells signaling in my head. That didn't make sense. Sungmin had never done anything to make me judge his character. He'd been nothing but nice to me. I stepped away as kindly as I could, not letting my smile falter as I pretended to restock the garnishes.

“Sungmin then. How are you?”

“I'm doing well~”

If he had noticed me shying away, he didn't show it.

The rest of the night continued on like that. Chanyeol would find something else to do when Sungmin came over, which only further rung the alarm bells in my head. He would be sort of flirty and touchy and I would avoid as much as possible. Chanyeol would glance in our direction, that sad look in his eyes every time. There was something going on here that I didn't understand and I wasn't so sure I wanted to.

Chanyeol and I closed the bar down and headed to our lockers to grab our stuff. He was even nice enough to wait outside with me until Kyuhyun showed up. We had closed a little early so Kyuhyun hadn't shown up yet. I couldn't help but question him a bit in the mean time.

“Chanyeol? Are you alright?”

He was breathing on his hands and rubbing them together to stay warm. It was definitely chilly.

“Just a bit cold,” he said with a goofy grin.

“No,” I shook my head. “I meant in general.”

He quirked a brow as he turned to face me. “What do you mean?”

“Do you have a crush on Sungmin?” I asked flatly.

His eyes bugged out of his head and his jaw hit the ground. It took him a while to find his voice.

“Not at all,” he choked out.

I couldn't tell if he was denying it because he didn't want to fess up or because he _really_ didn't like our boss. Kyuhyun showed up then so I wasn't able to press for more information. We all smiled and waved before parting ways.

The rest of our night consisted of eating leftovers and watching a movie while curled up together on the couch. I'm pretty sure that I fell asleep against his chest because when I woke up in the middle of the night to shift my position, we were both in bed. Kyuhyun must have carried me into the bedroom and tucked me in.

 

 

I had the lunch shift at the cafe. Kyuhyun didn't wake up with me but that was okay by me, he needed his sleep especially since he woke up before me yesterday. I left him breakfast on the table before leaving for my shift. Heechul was there again and I wasn't really surprised. Him and Hangeng only had eyes for each other and I figured they were bound at the hip most days. I'd be surprised if Heechul told me they _hadn't_ slept together yet.

Work was slow and uneventful. _So_ slow that I had to ask Hangeng if there were any small jobs or tasks he needed done. No way he was going to leave the counter to do them himself while his princess was here.

“Can you take old flyers down off the bulletin board?”

There was a cork board near the bathrooms where people would come in and post flyers. Anything from community gatherings and local bands to any upcoming events. The only problem was, they never came back in to take the flyer down once the event had passed. No problem. I could handle it. Especially on a day like today.

I hummed as I plucked off old pieces of colored paper. Concerts. Book clubs. Oh shoot, I wanted to go to that film festival. Lost kitten.

. . .

My heart plummeted into a bucket of ice cold water as shaky fingers, _my_ fingers, pulled the blue paper away. The font was fancy for a simple missing kitten flyer.

“Answers to Hyunnie? As in … Kyu _hyunnie_?” I whispered to myself.

If found please call Zhoumi at xxx-xxx-xxxx

...Kyuhyun's old owner wasn't dead?


	32. Coming Clean

The flyer was folded and in my pocket. I intended to show it to Kyuhyun once I got home. I intended to get answers. He couldn’t avoid me this time. I had evidence. For some reason, he had told me that his last owner was dead. That clearly wasn’t the case.

Needless to say . . . I was shaken up. My fingers wouldn’t work, my limbs wouldn’t move how I wanted them to, my heart raced in my chest, sweat clung to my brow and I was pretty sure I was pale. I felt like a zombie. A living zombie. And it didn’t take Hangeng and Heechul long to notice. 

“Leeteuk? Are you alright? You don’t look so hot,” Heechul spoke up.

“I’m suddenly not feeling well,” I mumbled with a shake of my head which I quickly cut short since it made me dizzy.

“You go ahead and go home early. Let Kyuhyun take care of you,” Hangeng suggested with a concerned nod.

 

I got home as soon as I could, Kyuhyun eating at the kitchen table. It felt good to see him but I wasn’t any more at ease. He stood to his feet as soon as his eyes landed on me.

“LeeLee, what happened?”

He rushed to me, gathering me up in his arms. The words were leaving my mouth before I could stop them.

“Would you stay with me? Even without the curse? If you could leave and be human, would you?” I was more than terrified of his answer.

“Of course I’d stay with you. Where’s this coming from?”

His fingers carded through my hair and I leaned into his touch, my hand straying into my pocket to pull out the blue flyer. I pressed it into his hand and watched his eyes grow wide and fearful once he saw what it was.

“Leeteuk . . . you can’t let him get to me. Can’t let him find me.”

The pain and tremor in his voice broke my heart and my legs almost gave out.

“You told me he was dead . . .”

“Dead to me as soon as I escaped that hell hole,” he growled.

“Kyuhyun . . . what’s going on? Why does he want you back if he abandoned you?”

He shook his head and my brows pulled together in confusion. 

“He didn’t abandon me. I ran away. Ran away and found you.”

Kyuhyun told me his story after that. How his master, Zhoumi, abused and tortured him, beat him and was the reason for the scars littering his body. I tried not to cry as he spoke. To be strong for him. But it was just so heartbreaking. The reason why he liked color so much. This man’s house was decorated in black and white. When Kyuhyun was allowed to wear clothes, he was naked most of the time, it was all black and white. Zhoumi kept him locked in a dark room. Now I knew where he got all his sexual experience from. The reason it took Kyuhyun so long to sing in my presence was because Zhoumi would force him to sing until his voice broke. He would sometimes be tortured if he refused to sing when first commanded to do so. Kyuhyun figures he spent most of his kitty life with Zhoumi. About one year of his human life. A year in hell.

I didn’t even know what to say after he had fallen silent so I just hugged him. I was so scared. We both were. If it came down to a fight between me and this Zhoumi, I would surely lose. How was I supposed to protect Kyuhyun? Taking him everywhere I went and not letting him out of my sight seemed like a good idea.

“I’ll do everything in my power to keep you with me,” I murmured into his shoulder. “But it’s probably safest for you to stay in the apartment, as much as it pains me to say it. He could be out looking for you. I don’t want to risk him seeing you. Not until we figure out what more we can do.”

His hands were gripping my waist and he nodded his head, not saying a word. I couldn’t begin to imagine the fear that was coursing through his body. I wished I didn’t have to bartend at Sungmin’s restaurant tomorrow; I’d much rather stay in and console Kyuhyun. Instead, I’d do as much of that as possible tonight and before I left for work tomorrow. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

A week went by rather quietly. I worked at the cafe, worked at the restaurant. Hangeng and the others asked where Kyu was and I lied, telling them he was home sick with some sort of stomach bug. I knew the truth. Kyuhyun was undoubtedly in kitty form hiding either under the bed or sofa. He didn’t pick me up from my late shifts at either job under my suggestion. I just couldn’t risk him being found by this Zhoumi. Finding the flyer at the cafe already put him too close for comfort.

To ease some of his own nerves, Chanyeol agreed to walk me home after our late shifts together. Kyuhyun really appreciated it and sometimes Chanyeol would come up to talk to my boyfriend or grab a quick bite to eat. Both of them got along well.

 

You know that calm before the storm? I should have realized that was what was happening. The only issue was, I figured the storm would come in the form of Kyuhyun’s previous owner. I had been wrong.

I didn’t work at the cafe today but I did work at the restaurant in the evening so I was able to sleep in and cuddle with Kyuhyun. He wasn’t as tense as when he first found out about the flyer but he was still on edge. I would be too and didn’t fault him at all. How could I?

“LeeLee,” he murmured, pulling me closer and burying his face in my hair to breathe in deeply.

“Morning Kyu,” I replied softly, reaching back and up to run my fingers through his soft, dark hair. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“You.”

I should have known. You would think that I would be used to his bluntness by now but I still felt my ears turn red.

“I’m not edible, Kyu,” I protested lightly just as he flexed his hips into my backside, causing me to gasp when I felt his hardened length.

“I beg to differ. You’re quite delicious.”

Now my neck was red, other parts of my body starting to react to just his words alone. Hiding my smile into the pillow, I pushed back against his groin, feeling his member settle between my cheeks.

“LeeLee? Are you seducing me?” he asked gruffly.

That dang morning voice of his all gruff and thick with sleep. It did things to me that I was mildly ashamed of and I’m pretty sure Kyuhyun knew that and used it to his advantage. His voice somehow hit a sensitive spot behind my ear while simultaneously traveling down my spine, causing me to arch while it hit another spot near my hip. Arching just pushed my butt further into his lap.

“Wanna cross something off that list of yours?” I asked in a small voice but I knew he could hear me with his sensitive ears. 

Instead of replying verbally, I found myself on my back, Kyuhyun between my thighs with my legs over his shoulders. Since we had gone to bed naked, there was one less step to worry about. Kyuhyun teased me for a moment with just the head of his member even though I felt my body trying desperately to suck more of him inside. 

“Such a greedy hole,” he purred.

“Kyuhyun,” I groaned breathlessly, about ready to start tossing the pillows off the bed. “S-sto . . . please. All of it.”

I had a small inkling that Kyuhyun had been trying to get me to work on my dirty talk all this time.

“Please . . . what? All of . . . what?”

I could hear the smile in his voice. He was definitely trying to get me to use my words.

“P-push . . . push it all in. I need all of you.”

He could have continued to tease me, to tell me that I wasn’t begging well enough for his liking, but Kyuhyun took pity on me and pushed the rest of his cock inside. Dear lord, he did it so slowly I was able to feel my body open up to him and accept each and every inch. He didn’t stop slipping into me until his balls pressed against my ass. I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck, keeping him close to me as he began to thrust in earnest. Now that he was fully seated inside me, play time was over. Kyuhyun was grunting with the force of his thrusts and the bed was bouncing against the wall as he rode me hard. 

My own voice was escaping my lips in the form of gasps and sharp breaths, moans tumbling out of me uncontrollably. I could feel his balls bouncing against my ass and it just turned me on more, precum already dripping from my slit and creating a small pool near my belly button. He was throbbing so deliciously inside me as he pounded into my prostate and I tangled my fingers into his hair to tug on it a bit roughly. That just spurred him on more. I reached my end before him, but that was how it always ended up. Kyuhyun was right behind me though, hips jerking into me as he filled me with his seed, a moan leaving me as I felt each and every warm spurt.

We ended up in the shower afterward but for cleaning purposes, not for more hanky panky. I mean, there was some kissing and light touching but nothing more than that. When we were done in the bathroom, we dried off and got dressed. I opted to not put on my work uniform yet since I still had some time before needing to get to work. I made us a lunch and made sure to have extra, as always, so Kyuhyun would have something to eat later on.

But eventually … I had to go to work. I had a pretty good day with Kyuhyun, so I walked in with a smile, glad to see that I would be working with Chanyeol. He was already behind the bar by the time I slipped back there with him, tying my half apron behind my waist. 

“Hey Chanyeol~” I greeted with a smile, not wasting any time in emptying out the dishwasher to put the clean glasses away.

“Hey Teuk,” he replied with half a grin, lifting his eyes up for a moment to spot me before continuing with the drink he was making. “Sungmin’s been looking for you.”

I blinked at him curiously and paused in my menial task, looking around the restaurant, hoping to catch him walking around somewhere. I didn’t see him and wondered if I should go check his office. It could be something important. After asking Chanyeol how important it seemed, I decided to go to Sungmin’s office to see what was up. I dried off my hands and excused myself, heading to the back of the restaurant and down the hallway that lead to the restrooms and Sungmin’s office. I knocked on the door and waited for an answer before entering.

Sungmin was inside, sitting in the chair behind his desk, papers strewn all over it. I was surprised at the sight. He seemed like such an organized kind of guy. 

“You were looking for me?” I asked once I was inside.

He had smiled when he saw it was me and stood from his chair with his arms spread, as if he hadn’t seen me in an unknown amount of time. But he didn’t come around the desk to hug me or anything. 

“Leeteuk! I just wanted to check in with you and see how you were doing here. Is everything good? Everything running smoothly?” he asked as he took a couple steps around his desk to sit on the right corner closest to me.

I was nodding before he had even finished asking all of his questions. This was what he wanted to talk to me about? It didn’t seem that important in my opinion but of course I didn’t say that to him. 

“Sure, Sungmin. Everything is fine,” I replied, twisting my hands in front of myself, sort of itching to get back out on the floor to help Chanyeol behind the bar. Speaking of Chanyeol.

“And Chanyeol? He hasn’t. . . bothered you in any way?” he asked slowly, his voice taking on a different tone. 

I was more than confused and I’m sure my face showed it, my brows pulling down and my head tilting to the side. I gave my head a light shake. 

“Chanyeol is great.”

He slid off his desk and slowly walked towards me. Those alarm bells were going off again but my feet were glued to the floor. Sungmin walked behind me and I turned my head so I was able to keep my eyes locked on him. I felt his body press up against me and I held my breath. 

“You know, Leeteuk. If you’re that hard on money, we could work out . . . some sort of deal,” he purred into my ear.

My blood ran ice cold. I knew exactly what kind of offer he was suggesting and I was immediately disgusted. The tension between Sungmin and Chanyeol seemed so clear now. I wonder if Chanyeol had been in this same situation. A hand creeping up my thigh brought me back to my thoughts and I gently pushed it away and turned around to face Sungmin. 

“N-no thanks. I’m not that . . . I don’t need it that badly. Just the two jobs is fine.”

I got out of his office as soon as possible but it was stupid to think that I could continue working there when Sungmin had made a pass at me. It was stupid to think that he wouldn’t try something again. The only question was . . . how long would he wait before trying a second time? The answer . . . later that night, around closing time.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 


	33. The Storm

It was closing time and Chanyeol had already left since he had started his shift before I had even gotten to the restaurant. The kitchen staff was cleaning the kitchen and I was working on closing down the bar. I had made a good amount of money in tips and couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Any thoughts of what had happened in Sungmin’s office had been pushed out of my mind. I waved to a few waiters and waitresses as they left, taking the bar drawer to drop off in Sungmin’s office so he could count it and deal with making a drop off at the bank. 

He was there in his office when I came in to drop the drawer off and he told me to go ahead and slip it into the safe so he could get to it later. Nothing strange about that, I did the same thing for Hangeng at the cafe. But when I stood from bending down to slip the drawer into the safe and turned around, Sungmin was there and the next thing I knew he was on me. 

I had enough time to gasp before he spun me around and bent me over the edge of his desk. I tried to fight against him but he was a lot stronger than he looked. My pants were midway down my thighs along with my boxers and tears sprung to my eyes as soon as he entered me. I sobbed and struggled but he didn’t stop. I’m not sure how many minutes went by. In all honesty, it felt like hours. The next thing I knew he was stumbling away from me and I looked up through my blurry vision to see Chanyeol punching Sungmin across the face. I reached down with shaky hands to pull my pants back up, shuffling away from his desk and inching my way to the door.

Chanyeol came to my side and whisked me out of the room once Sungmin was down on the floor, knocked out from the last punch my fellow bartender had landed. 

 

  
It was all a blur. Chanyeol escorted me home like he normally would when we worked together. I cried the whole time. He assured me that he would take care of the Sungmin issue, that he should have gone to the police long ago to complain about our boss. I’d known Sungmin for all these years yet I hadn’t really known him at all. Chanyeol of course came upstairs with me to hand deliver me to Kyuhyun, but he didn’t leave. 

Kyuhyun was asking questions right away but Chanyeol brushed him off at first. I wasn’t really sure what they were talking about, I was still in a daze. Chanyeol mentioned something about putting me in the bath and that’s exactly where my feet took me. The other two stayed in the kitchen and I figured Chanyeol was telling Kyuhyun all that had happened. It was just as well. I’m not so sure I could get the words out.

I’m not sure how long Chanyeol stayed for but all my bubbles in my bubble bath had died out and the water was starting to get a bit chilly. Goosebumps broke out over my arms and my toes and fingers were all wrinkly. I looked up when Kyuhyun slipped in. His face was distraught and it just brought on a fresh wave of tears. 

“I’m so sorry, Kyuhyun.” I opened my mouth to say more but he shook his head and waved a hand to keep me silent, sitting down next to the tub so he could be closer to me.

“Shush LeeLee,” he said soothingly. “You didn’t ask for any of this. This isn’t your fault.”

I watched with dull eyes as he reached into the tub to feel the temperature of the water. He shook his head and pulled out the plug, letting most of the water drain out before filling it back up with fresh, hot water. He asked if he could join me and I nodded, moving to one end so he had room to get in with me. Kyuhyun positioned himself so I could sit between his legs and lay back against his chest. I felt safe here. This was my favorite position to be in when we were taking a bath together. He wrapped his strong arms around me and I allowed my eyes to slip closed but the tears just kept coming. 

“I . . . I need to call Hangeng tomorrow,” I said with a small shake of my head. “I just. . . I can’t work for a while. Not after that.”

I could feel his head nodding and an idea slowly started to form in my head. At this point, I’m pretty sure that Chanyeol had the same thing happen to him. The only issue was, for some reason it happened more than once and he wasn’t able to get away. Perhaps it was the job, he needed the job and that’s why he wasn’t able to leave. Well I had the perfect remedy. Chanyeol could cover for me at the cafe until I felt better enough to come back. Maybe Hangeng would even keep him on when I did come back. Either way, Chanyeol needed to get out of there too. I would work all that out tomorrow when I woke up. 

“I’m sure Hangeng will understand,” Kyuhyun murmured.

Gosh I really didn’t want to have to get into specifics about why I wasn’t there, but if I missed a lot of work . . . it was only fair to tell my boss. Maybe seeing him in person would be better than a phone call. But I didn’t want to go to the cafe. I didn’t want to leave the apartment. I groaned softly and decided I’d worry about all the technicalities tomorrow.

“Kyuhyun . . . please. I … I can still feel his hands on me. Make it go away.”

Yes, it might have been a weird request but it was what I wanted. I wanted Kyuhyun to erase Sungmin’s touch. To replace it with his own. Kyuhyun didn’t ask any questions, didn’t waste any time in doing what I asked. He seemed to understand exactly what I was going through. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

The next day, I smoothed everything out with Chanyeol and Hangeng. Chanyeol was more than happy to fill in for me and Hangeng, while more than upset to hear what had happened and was ready to get the police involved, was wiling to take Chanyeol on in my place until I was ready to come back. He even mentioned that if Chanyeol needed a new job, he could stay on after I came back. That did a bit to ease my heart but only a small bit. 

I didn’t want to get out of bed and Kyuhyun didn’t try to push me to leave the safety of the covers and pillows. I’m not sure how many days went by with me staying in bed and only getting up to go to the bathroom and eat what little food I could stomach, but it eventually got to the point where I was worrying about Kyuhyun not having anything to eat, so I pulled myself together and rolled out of bed. We still had Kyuhyun’s old master to worry about. It wasn’t fair to be moping around like this when Kyuhyun was probably still worried. Sungmin had been dealt with, there was no reason to dwell in the past.

The next few days, the days where I was finally out of bed, were actually pretty pleasant. We didn’t talk about it after the first night and the day after. It wasn’t as if we were avoiding it but we had already discussed everything that needed to be discussed on the matter so there was no need to keep bringing it up. These days were filled with coloring, Kyuhyun would actually join in with me, along with laziness and lots of lovemaking. Kyuhyun was a lot more gentle with me whenever it got to anything sexual and would only go rougher or harder if I explicitly asked for it. Maybe two and a half weeks had gone by and I was starting to feel human again. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

We were in the office. Kyuhyun was playing a game on my laptop and I was sitting behind him against the wall. Well not sitting, I was laying on my stomach while coloring, my head resting in my hand with my elbow propped up against the floor. My mind drifted as I colored. I was feeling good enough to go back to work and would probably return tomorrow. 

My legs were up in the air behind me and I used one foot to rub against the other ankle, glancing up at Kyuhyun every now and then. My heart was pounding in my chest before I even decided to say it. It was like my body knew before I did. 

“I love you.”

I looked up to see his whole body freeze. He slowly closed the laptop and just as slowly turned in the chair to face me with a serious face. I had stopped coloring long ago.

“I don’t expect you to say anything in return. I just thought … wanted you to know.” 

He pounced on me before I was able to get anything else out and I couldn’t help the pleased laugh that came out of me. I had seen his grin just as he pounced. He was whispering words into my ear as he slowly peeled my clothes off my body. How much he adored me, how precious he thought I was, how he didn’t like spending any time away from me. It didn’t go by unnoticed that he hadn’t said it back, but that was fine with me for now. Kyuhyun was still saying such sweet things. I was melting into the floor with his words, my arms pressed into the wood of the floor. Our fingers laced together were the only things anchoring me and keeping me here with him. 

My legs were spread, my feet planted into the floor and I felt him smearing my entrance with his precum. Hm. It was almost as if telling him I loved him had turned him on. I was more than okay with that.  

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 


	34. Crashing Down

Leaving Kyuhyun to go to work the next day was so dang hard. It was great being home with him for almost three weeks. But now I was scared and nervous because of all the money we had missed out on. Not to mention I was back down to just the one job. Yep, definitely had to get back to work. Kyuhyun was still stationed to stay at the apartment though, so I wouldn’t be able to see him while I was working.

Heechul was there when I came in for my shift and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that him and Hangeng were now a thing. I smiled at them both before giving my boss a curious look. He pulled me aside after that so we could talk in private, heading back to the stock room. He had been smart enough to not tell Heechul what had happened and he didn’t mention anything to anyone else. Heechul was the big one to worry about though. He would have gone on a killing rampage if he had found out. 

Ryeowook was pleased to announce that him and Yesung were an official item now as well. I grinned at him and congratulated him, easily slipping back into my role at the cafe. Just power through. Muscle through it. I couldn’t let what happened with Sungmin ruin me. He wouldn’t be showing his face in this cafe anymore either. Instead, I set my sights on the future and what was in store.

Since Heechul and Hangeng were official, I wasn’t too worried about inviting my friend over so he could meet kitty Kyu. I no longer had to worry about Shindong, our landlord, meeting him either since he already had on accident. I had left the door open one day to go get the mail and kitty Kyu had followed me out. Shindong happened to be working on one of the mail slots so it all worked out perfectly. One less thing I had to worry about. Though maybe having the distraction would have helped? Too late now. 

I guess I could start looking for a second job somewhere. Maybe another cafe was hiring. I no longer had any interest in working at a restaurant. Hangeng had already given me a raise and I’m pretty sure he would cap off my hours eventually just to make sure I wasn’t working myself down to the bone. 

Before I knew it, my shift was over and it was time to go back home to Kyuhyun. That was just fine by me. I had missed my boyfriend since I had been pretty much glued to his side 24/7 for the last three weeks. I rushed home as soon as I could and emptied my pockets onto the kitchen table as soon as I arrived. 

“Kyuhyun?”

He usually rushed me as soon as I got home, at least he did when I came home from work before I was home the past three weeks. I checked under the bed and couch but didn’t find him there. I checked all the rooms and he was nowhere to be found. He hadn’t left a note so he couldn’t be out, not to mention that he wasn’t supposed to be out since his previous owner was … Zhoumi. Oh no. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

I searched for Kyuhyun everywhere for the next week. I went to his favorite places that he want to when he wandered about while he was human. He wasn’t anywhere to be found. Hangeng could tell something was up while I was at work. I was distracted and I messed up orders. I never messed up orders. Yes, I probably should have called in to work so I could spend my time searching for Kyuhyun but I thought being out in public might allow me the chance to hear something from a customer or something.

Every day resulted in no new knowledge. Kyuhyun hadn’t turned up, neither human nor kitten. No notes left anywhere in the apartment. Every night I fell asleep with the light display on but it did little to comfort me. I fell asleep just as an idea was forming at the edge of my mind. Part of me hoped I was able to remember it when I woke up.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Kyuhyun sat in a chair in an otherwise empty room. There was one light in the room and it shone down on him, leaving the corners of the white room in blackness. There wasn’t a window and there was only one door directly in front of him, a tall figure standing in the doorway. Kyuhyun wasn’t restrained at all but he knew there was no point in trying to make a getaway. He was barefoot and his shirt and long since been confiscated. 

“Oh little Hyunnie,” a deep voice cooed. Kyuhyun flinched and held back a snarl, turning his head to look the other way. “I found you at long last. Imagine my surprise when I saw you traipsing around with someone else.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes flashed and he snapped his head back to front and center.

“Leave him alone. You got what you wanted.”

Zhoumi seemed to ignore Kyuhyun’s words and continued along with whatever monologue he had thought up before coming to see Kyuhyun in this room.

“How ever did you manage to escape me? Not to mention why? I took good care of you, gave you three meals a day.”

“Rape isn’t taking care of someone. And cock, especially yours, isn’t a meal,” Kyuhyun cut in before Zhoumi could continue. 

Zhoumi wasn’t at all pleased with Kyuhyun’s word choice or his tone of voice. He pushed away from the doorframe from which he had been leaning against to stalk into the room closer to his captive. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

I scrambled out of my apartment to knock on Siwon’s door. It was sort of early but this was an emergency. When he opened the door, his hair sticking up all over the place, I apologized for disturbing him and asked if he had seen anyone come to my apartment lately. 

While his answer was helpful, it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. 

A tall male had come to the apartment complex, not just the complex but had found his way to my apartment door. Siwon described the male as really tall and lean with dark hair. My hands started to shake and I tried to casually slip them into my pockets so he wouldn’t notice, tilting my head to the side to feign curiosity. He had lingered for a while, knocking on the door until Kyuhyun had answered. It was at this moment in his story that I realized Siwon didn’t have anything better to do than to spy on my apartment. I mentally shook my head to clear it of those thoughts. His spying behavior was the key to helping and finding Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun had answered the door even though he knew who was on the other side. Siwon told me that they had left together. Simple as that. My heart fell to the floor. I thanked him for the information he had given me and assured him that everything was alright, that the tall man had just been one of Kyuhyun’s friends. I didn’t want to bring anyone else into my problems. 

I returned to my apartment, face blank and mind running rampant as my whole body began to shake. Would I ever see Kyuhyun again? 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 


	35. Strike a Deal

I knew what I had to do, it was just a matter of doing it. I was sitting at the kitchen table with the flyer in one hand and my cell phone in the other, chewing on my lip as I looked between the number at the bottom of the blue flyer and my phone. I knew what I had to do, but doing it, following through, carrying it out … it just wasn’t easy. 

But I eventually had to make my fingers work to dial the number to contact him. I held my phone to my ear and set the flyer down, not able to hold it any longer since it was shaking so badly in my hand anyway. A secretary picked up and it immediately clicked with me that this was his business number and not his personal line.

“Um, may I speak to Mr.Zhoumi please?” I asked tentatively, afraid that I would be denied right away because I not only didn’t sound official but I wasn’t calling to talk about business, not really.

“May I ask who is calling?” she asked smoothly. It wasn’t as if she were questioning my credentials or anything of that sort. More like she was merely asking so she could tell her boss who indeed was waiting for him on the other line. 

“Leeteuk?” I hated the fact that it came out of me in the form of a question, but she didn’t press for any more details. She asked me to please hold for a moment and then the line was filled with elevator music. I glanced out the balcony door as I waited for her to get back on the line and tell me that Zhoumi was otherwise engaged and could she please take a message. I was surprised when it was Zhoumi that answered instead. 

“Leeteuk.”

His voice was dripping with power and I stiffened in my chair, closing my eyes to keep my composure. My free hand was flexing against the kitchen table. I didn’t know if he was waiting for me to start the conversation or enjoying listening to the sound of my breathing. 

“Is Kyuhyun okay? I know you have him.”

“I was wondering when you would call me, Leeteuk. Yes, I have him. As to whether or not he’s okay, I bet his opinion differs from mine.”

“Please … please let him go. I’ll do anything, just please.” More self hatred for turning into a begging fool. 

“Now, now, Leeteuk. Don’t cry on me. We just started talking. First impressions, remember.”

I bit down on my lip to keep from saying anything further and to stop myself from crying. I didn’t want him to hear me cry. He would gain even more power than what he already had in this situation. 

“Why don’t you come to my office so we can talk?”

It didn’t sound like a question or an offer, it sounded much more like an order. Before I could give him an answer one way or the other, he was rattling off the address and I was scrambling for a writing utensil so I could jot the information down on the back of the blue flyer. 

“Please be punctual. I’m a busy man.”

And with that, he hung up. It took me a few moments to end the call on my end, surprised by how the conversation had gone. Then I was reminded of his last words and I quickly shot to my feet to get around and get out the door. I didn’t have a car so I would have to walk or take public transit. I could take a taxi but that wouldn’t help much if there was a lot of traffic. I used an app on my phone to help direct me to his office building, relieved that it wasn’t too far away but then not so relieved when I realized it wasn’t too far away. He was too close to my liking. 

I entered the building and rode the elevator up to the right floor, approaching the receptionist’s desk just as hesitantly as I had spoken on the phone. The lady behind the desk wasn’t scary by any means. She was smiling and friendly and very pretty. But it wasn’t her I was afraid of. It was the man behind the door waiting in that office that she gave me permission to enter that I was afraid of. 

Barely opening the door, I slipped through the small opening and shut it behind me once more, slowly turning to face Zhoumi. He was seated behind his desk in a tailored suit, a smile on his face. He … was really attractive but power seemed to roll off of him in intimidating waves. My palms were sweating already and I rubbed them against my thighs in case he went in for a handshake, which I assumed most businessmen did. 

“Come take a seat,” he suggested, inclining his head to the chairs across from his desk.

There were two to choose from and I was afraid there was a right and wrong answer. HIs eyes were on me as I moved closer, standing between the two options for a moment before opting for taking the right chair. Right just seemed … right. I was perched on the edge of it, ready to bolt at any moment. 

“What brings you here?” he asked, leaning back in his own chair with his elbows on the rests, his fingers clasped together in front of him.

I looked at him in mild shock. He … he had been the one that told me to come. He gave me the address and told me to be punctual.

“You told me to co-“

He lifted a hand to silence me and shook his head with his eyes closed, the corners of his mouth pulling down as if he wasn’t pleased with my answer.

“Don’t play coy with me, Leeteuk. You’ve had something to offer me ever since you made the decision to call me. What is it you have to offer?”

He knew all of this before I even realized it myself. I stared down at the edge of his mahogany desk, scooting a bit closer to the edge of my chair as if afraid that someone else could hear what I was about to say. I flicked my gaze up at him for a moment, long enough to catch his amused expression, before returning my stare to the edge of the desk.

“If … if all you want is some sort of sex slave, take me instead. I’ll take his place, without Kyuhyun knowing. He can’t know. Purely for sex, you can’t mark me in any way to clue him into what’s going on. No scars, no markings, no hickeys, beatings, nothing of that sort. He can’t find out I traded myself for his freedom. Not since I’m … I’m doing this willingly.”

“Willingly, hm? That’s new for me.”

I waited for him to say more, to shoot my offer down. Chancing a glance up, he actually appeared to be thinking it over, rubbing his fingertips against his lips while the fingers of his other hand drummed against the wood of his desk. Suddenly, he knocked his knuckles on his desk, turned in his chair to face me and nodded his head once. 

“Deal. I’ll release Kyuhyun and then you’ll be at my bid and call,” he said casually as he pointed a finger at me. “Whenever I call or text, you come to me. Don’t and there will be hell to pay. I don’t care what you have to tell him to get away, you come to me. Is that understood?”

I nodded dully, not lifting my gaze to meet his. Not until he told me to, that is. 

“Look at me. Is that understood?” Zhoumi raised both his brows at me as he waited for a reply.

I nodded again and even added, “Yes sir,” just to be safe. That seemed to please him very much. I could see the spark in his eye. He had never been with someone obedient before, somebody that didn’t have a lot of fight in them. He was intrigued. I was terrified. 

“You have to let him go,” I persisted, almost off the chair at this point. “Now.”

He waved a hand at me as if to wave me off but he picked up the phone and dialed a number. Zhoumi didn’t have to wait long for whomever was on the other end of the line to pick up. He kept his eyes fixed on me as he spoke. “Mr. Kim? Yes, thank you. Ah, about that…… yes you can let him go. Yes, just like that. I’m sure he can find his way back home. Yes, I’m positive.” He gave one nod and then set the phone back in its cradle.

“How do I know that you were letting Kyuhyun go?” I asked, surprised that I found myself on my feet in front of his desk. 

He seemed amused that he was looking up at me. 

“He knows where you live, right? I’m sure he’ll come to you first thing. You'll just have to trust that I kept up my end of the deal. By the way … I’ll be needing that number of yours as well.”

I bit my lip and used the pen he gave me to jot down my number on the notepad of his desk. No sooner had I set the pen down, my cell phone was ringing in my pocket. I gasped and my hand darted for it, Zhoumi waving me out of his office, mouthing that he would call me with a grin.

“Kyuhyun?” I whispered urgently as I answered the phone, safely out of Zoumi’s office but still in his building. 

“No, this is Siwon. Are you looking for Kyuhyun? Cat or human because the cat is here waiting for you. Don't think he could call you though.”

“I'll be right there!”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	36. Remastered

I have no idea how Kyuhyun got back to the apartment so fast. He beat me there when I had to walk, yet he was a tiny little kitten and still beat me there. Heck, he was there when I was still in Zhoumi's building. It just made me wonder how close he had been to me all this time. He was waiting for me inside by the apartment door once I arrived. I scooped him up and unlocked the apartment door, stepping inside and closing the door behind me, swiftly locking it back up. He gathered me up in his arms once the door was locked, I hadn’t even felt him change back to his human form. My eyes widened and I wound my arms around him as best I could in the position he had me in, each of us clutching the other desperately.

“Kyuhyun, shh, I’m here,” I said softly, petting the back of his hair as I held him close. 

He was saying something and I couldn’t make it out. I wiggled a bit in his hold so I could free his mouth from the crook of my neck.

“W-what? Kyuhyun, I can’t understand you.”

“You have to sleep with me, you have to become my master again, hurry.” Kyuhyun was speaking in a hurried rush.

“H-hold on. Didn’t you tell me once that you can only have sex with your master?” I asked a bit meekly even as his fingers were busy trying to remove my shirt while getting my pants undone at the same time.

“Yeah, why?”

“So couldn’t you … you know … to me … and it’ll still make me your owner since technically you slept with me even though I didn’t top?” My voice grew softer and softer with each word.

He was silent for a moment and my face turned red, thinking that I had come up with a stupid idea. 

“That … should actually work,” he said gruffly before picking me up and tossing me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

My face turned even more red when I realized where he was carrying me. Here I thought we were going to the bedroom or maybe even the couch, but my eyes followed as the couch came and left my line of sight. Kyuhyun was carrying me out to the balcony. Sure, it was dark, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing. I knew the balcony was on his list but I hoped it would stay on the list and never get crossed out. 

He set me back on my feet once we were outside, the cool night air caressing my cheeks. Only the light from the entryway filters out onto the balcony but there were still lights from the city spotted here and there. I looked around to try and convince myself that nobody could see us up here, even if they were looking. We had a bit of tree coverage but it didn’t do much to ease my nerves. 

“Forgive me for rushing this, LeeLee, but time is of the essence,” he muttered softly as my pants and underwear pooled around my ankles.

I understood his need for urgency. If we didn’t have sex, he wouldn’t be able to turn human at will. I rested my hands on his shoulders and stepped out of my pants, wondering if I’d at least be able to keep my shirt on to help keep myself a bit concealed. 

“Turn around, LeeLee. Grip the railing.”

I bit my lip and did as told, spinning in place and bending over slightly to grip the railing for balance. I felt my shirt slide up my backside and I hung my head between my arms. Kyuhyun used his hands to spread my cheeks and I groaned when I felt his tongue swipe at my entrance. Even though he was in a hurry, he still didn’t want to hurt me. I couldn’t help but pant and moan as he licked at me, making my toes curl against the cement of the balcony. His tongue entered me and he moved it slowly, thrusting in and out. By this time I was more than hard and ready to go myself, he must be right there with me. I almost thought he was teasing me but we didn’t have time for that.

“Kyuhyun! Please.”

His tongue pulled out of me and his hands gripped my hips. I felt his cock settle between my cheeks, his head rubbing against my entrance before he began sliding his throbbing member between my cheeks. More teasing. How was he okay with this when he was so impatient before? I rolled on my feet to meet his thrusting, mewling seductively. 

“A-ahhhn. Kyuhyun, come on.”

My knuckles had turned white long ago as my grip on the railing increased. I felt the head of his cock press against my entrance and I held my breath as he pushed inside, my head tipping back as he stretched me, my walls clinging to him.

“Oh god~”

My own cock throbbed with need and I felt precum dripping down to my balls. I spread my legs a bit more and stuck my ass out, helping Kyuhyun to reach deeper. If my cock was throbbing, his was pulsing something fierce. I could probably cum without him having to move at all. But I hoped he would.

His hands tightened on me and instead of pulling out, he pushed in more, nudging me with his cock over and over again. My mouth fell open and I gasped, the blunt head of his cock rubbing against my prostate. I almost cried out but then remembered that we were outside. His balls were squished against my ass and I groaned in frustration. Kyuhyun rolled his hips against me and my hole tightened around him, hugging him close. 

“Like that, baby?” he asked me huskily and I could only nod my head in response. 

My back grew warm as Kyuhyun pressed his chest against it. One of his hands slipped up my shirt to tease at my nipples, rubbing the nub before pinching it gently and giving it a small tug. I whimpered his name, rolling my hips back against him. 

“Do it, LeeLee,” he promoted gently, his hand dropping from my nipple to come down to curl his fingers around the base of my cock. I groaned even louder. “Ride my dick, baby.” He whispered into my ear before licking at the shell of it.

I used my grip on the railing to help pull myself forward so I could push back against him, his cock gliding in and out of me. It felt good but it wasn’t the same as him taking control and doing it himself. It just wasn’t the same and he probably knew that. I heard him chuckle and both of his hands returned to my hips, even though I rather liked the tight grip he had had around my cock.

Kyuhyun did more of that grinding and nudging deeper into me before he started the thrusting. I could hear his balls hit against my body and it just turned me on more. Because he had used his mouth on me beforehand, there was saliva down there and even his cock sliding in and out of me emitted a slick noise into the air. 

I hid my face in my arm, not that anyone could see me. My back grew cold as Kyuhyun stood up straight so he was able to thrust more easily. His pace and power grew with each thrust and before I knew it, I was moaning louder than I would be comfortable with otherwise. I was so close and I could tell that he was too because his pace began to fall out of rhythm and became more erratic. I came first, as always, my muscles squeezing down around him tightly. He gave a few more thrusts before cumming as well, causing me to gasp due to the sudden warmth. My chest heaved as I tried to watch my breath, my grip on the railing beginning to weaken. Kyuhyun slid his arms across my chest and pulled me away from the metal railing to hold me back against his chest. 

“I missed you, master,” he whispered cheekily, kissing my neck.

“I told you not to call me that,” I murmured tiredly, barely able to keep my eyes open. 

“Sorry. LeeLee~”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	37. Summoned

Things sort of returned to normal after that but I knew that Zhoumi was just bidding his time. He hadn’t contacted me yet but I knew that he would. I’m surprised that Kyuhyun hadn’t confided in me about anything. Not about what had happened when he was with Zhoumi, I could figure that out on my own. I was more surprised that he didn’t seem worried or concerned that he had been let free so easily, that there hadn’t been some sot of catch. I guess he was just happy to be free and didn’t want to question it. It’s not like I would give him answers even though I knew all of them.

Kyuhyun went back to coming to the cafe to be with me while I worked since he figured there was no need to hide in the apartment any longer. I still didn’t feel all that great about Zhoumi not only knowing where we lived but having been there himself in person. It just rubbed me the wrong way. But it wasn’t as if we could just up and move.  

During this quiet time of Zhoumi not contacting me, I had come up with a plan of what I would tell Kyuhyun whenever I had to leave randomly. I got a second job. Simple as that. I would just tell him that I had found a second job and they were tight on hours so instead of putting me on the schedule, they would just call or text me to let me know when I could come in to work for a couple hours. I was sure that I could stick to this lie. I could do it to keep Kyuhyun protected. 

Since Kyuhyun was coming with me to the cafe again, we no longer held to the idea of him carrying my cell phone around so we could contact each other. It was just as well, since Zhoumi would be using my cell number to get hold of me. It would be terrible if Kyuhyun answered one of those calls or texts. The only problem I saw with it was that I couldn’t contact him while I was at my “second job”. I was really starting to like the idea of Kyuhyun having his own phone. When I brought this to his attention, he told me I was worrying over nothing. I even tried to think of some communication we could have where it would be on my cell phone and then the laptop at home, but they would need to be off the same phone number, so I came up empty handed.

I felt it was probably better to tell Kyuhyun about the job before Zhoumi started contacting me so I wouldn’t have to explain while it was happening. I would be too overwhelmed with everything once Zhoumi sent the first text or called for the first time. 

Kyuhyun was doing the dishes after we had just finished dinner and I figured it was the right time to tell him about my supposed second job. The words came out easily and he didn’t seem to suspect anything so all seemed well. He asked where the second job was at and I told him it was another cafe thing. He told me I seemed to really like coffee and I merely laughed in reply.

There, that task was no longer on my plate. I would be covered whenever Zhoumi contacted me. I just … I wondered how long I would have to live this double life. I hated the idea of sleeping with someone other than the one I loved, anyone would hate that. Surely Zhoumi didn’t mean to keep this going on forever. And if he did, I’d make sure those plans would change. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

He wouldn’t stay silent forever. It was about two weeks later that Zhoumi finally decided to send me a text. I had just got home after a shift at the cafe and thought his timing was a little too perfect. I was afraid he was somehow watching the apartment. I had just entered the kitchen when my phone buzzed. I kissed Kyuhyun on the cheek before pulling my phone out, trying to stay calm once I realized who it was from. Time to act the part.

I groaned and gave Kyuhyun a small pout, holding up my phone though not showing him the screen, just indicating that I had been summoned.

“Second job?” he asked with a small frown of his own, his hands clasped around my upper arms.

I nodded, not able to find any words to give him.

“About time they called you about getting some hours,” he said with a small smile before bending down to give me a quick kiss. “How long do you think they’ll have you work? Did they tell you?”

“No,” I said softly, shaking my head. “I don’t know how long I’ll be. Make sure you eat something, okay?”

As always, there were plenty of leftovers in the fridge for Kyuhyun to attack. This was going to be a long night. I already worked a closing shift. I had told Kyuhyun this was a twenty-four hour cafe, open around the clock. And since I didn’t know how long I’d be gone, I didn’t know when I’d get home. I would think he was a bit worried about me getting home late.

I was stalling and he could tell. He chuckled and ruffled my hair before gently nudging me towards the door. 

“The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back~” he said in a singsong voice. 

I nodded and gave him one last kiss before leaving the apartment.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

Zhoumi didn’t have me meet him at his private place, but that didn’t surprise me at all. He also didn’t have me meet him at some sleepy motel or anything like that. Instead, he had me meet him at a very fancy hotel. The kind that just dripped money. The kind that would do anything for any customer that had the money to pay for it. I picked up the room key at reception, just as he had instructed me. 

I rode the elevator up to the top floor and was reminded of the day I went to Zmoumi’s office to strike this deal with him. He grated on my nerves. Stepping out of the elevator, I looked at the gold plaque directly in front of me to figure out if I needed to turn left or right. I turned left and walked to the end of the hall. There weren’t many doors lining the hallway and I figured it was because the rooms that lay beyond each wooden door was much larger than any other hotel. The customers here were definitely getting their money’s worth. 

Stopping in front of the right door, I slid the keycard into the slot and waited for the light to turn green before opening it and stepping inside. I almost slipped my shoes off but didn’t know if that was against protocol or not. I was so nervous and this was so damn strange and awkward. I rubbed at my arms as I stepped further into the room. Zhoumi hadn't given me any other instructions aside from picking the keycard up from the reception desk. 

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I thought it was strange that he hadn’t made his presence known yet. The entire room was dark and squinting didn’t make it any easier to see. I was afraid that I would trip over something and fall flat on my face but I also didn’t want to reach out in front of myself to feel around. My heart was thundering in my chest, slowly making its way into my throat. 

That feeling you get when someone is close to you? Or has their eyes on you? For some reason, that sensory trigger was broken for me. I didn’t know where Zhoumi was until it was too late. There was a strong arm wrapped around my waist and I was tugged back against something very solid. I was so startled that I let out a strangled cry but I was grateful he hadn’t clapped a hand over my mouth or I would have struggled.

“Found you~” he purred.

“W-why is it so dark?” I panted, leaning away from his chest so my back wouldn’t be pressed up against him. I could feel that he was already hard, his length pressed against my backside.  

“Makes things more exciting,” he replied gruffly, pulling at the strings of my work apron. “The hell are you wearing?”

“My uniform,” I protested, struggling in his arms lightly, just causing my rear to rub against him. I stopped once I realized that. 

“Let’s get it off of you.”

And with that, he was no longer on me. He must have stepped away somewhere but there really wasn’t any ray of light anywhere in this damn room to help me in any way. And I had the feeling he could see me with no problem. 

“Strip,” he instructed and I froze. “Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to do any sort of dance. Just get naked.”

As if that made me feel any better. My shaky hands reached back for the uneven strings of my apron and I pulled them free, slipping the apron off. I couldn’t see anything so I just let it drop to the floor. I better get the chance to gather all my clothes before leaving this place and returning home. I toed off my shoes and did the same with my socks, hanging my head the whole time. 

“Lift your chin. Be a man about it.”

I flinched at his words and slowly lifted my head, but my eyes were closed, which didn’t make sense since I couldn’t see anything anyway. My fingers came to the buttons of my shirt and at first I Couldn’t get them to cooperate. I was afraid Zhoumi would stride over and rip my shirt open but that would be hard to explain to Kyuhyun. I felt I was waring on his patience. Letting out a deep breath, I collected myself before trying again, successfully unbuttoning my shirt and letting it crumple to the floor. 

“Remember … no marks,” I whispered, hoping that speaking would help distract myself as I undid my belt. I only wore a belt to work.

“I’m aware of our agreement. Do you plan on getting naked at all tonight? Or do you need my help?”

I definitely didn’t want his help. My fingers snapped into action and I was able to get my belt undone along with my pants, the garment sliding down my thighs to pool around my feet. I should have let my underwear down at the same time. I swallowed thickly and pushed those down as well, crossing one arm over my chest to rub at my upper arm as I waited. 

“You have to use a condom,” I whispered in a rush.

There was silence and I wondered how he had taken that. When he spoke, I jumped, not expecting him to be so close. 

“That wasn’t part of the agreement,” he stated darkly and I leaned away from him, afraid his anger would get the better of him. 

“I … yes I know that, but please. You have to use a condom.”

“And if I don’t have any with me?”

I didn’t know what to say to that. There was no way he was going to let me get dressed and leave just so he could have condoms ready for the next time we decided to do this. I hung my head. 

“You should have thought about that before you set your terms.”

His hands slid down my arms and I bit on my lip to keep from sobbing. I wasn’t crying but some sort of sound wanted to rip from my throat. This had been my decision, my choice, I couldn’t go back on it. This was for Kyuhyun. 

“If I were to bring condoms after today? Would you use them?” I asked hopefully, already knowing the answer.

“No. I’m clean if that’s what you’re worried about. If it’s something else that you’re concerned over, get over it.”

He tugged me to the couch after that. I was relieved that it wasn’t a bed, not that there were locations that were better than others in this situation. Well, I guess there were. He had me lay on my back with my legs spread. It was good that I couldn’t see his face but I still didn’t like this position. My hands were at my sides, clasped into loose fists, my feet on the couch cushions. It was wide enough for me to lay there without one of my legs falling off the side. My head wasn’t on a pillow so I would have been staring straight up at the ceiling. 

I felt the couch dip as he kneeled between my legs and I instinctively brought one hand up to grab his shoulder, just to get a good sense of where he was, nothing more. I even tried to sink down into the couch more or scoot up towards the arm, but one of his strong hands gripped my right thigh and pressed it against the back of the couch, spreading me even more. His other hand came between my cheeks, pushing two fingers in without any preamble. I let out a gasp and arched, not expecting the digits. He gasped himself and I didn’t know why until he spoke. 

“You’re already prepared! You actually let that cat fuck you? Dono what you’re missing.”

I was stunned that he thought I had been the top in our relationship but maybe he figured that just had to be the way things went considering Kyuhyun’s position with needing a master. I dig my nails into his shoulder on accident and scrunched up my face. 

“Just … just do it …” 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 


	38. Under the Table

When I returned home, I made sure my clothes looked acceptable but then decided that if they looked a bit askew, it wouldn’t be unheard of. I did work a closing shift at the cafe only to turn around and supposedly work another … I looked at my watch. I had been gone five hours. It felt like a lifetime. Thank god I had the day off. Unless … unless Zhoumi called or texted but I hoped he had had enough of me to last him a while. 

While I was exiting the hotel room, I slipped into the bathroom in the lobby to check myself over for any marks, wanting to make sure that Zhoumi hadn’t left anything visible on me. I felt like there must be something. I could still feel him all over me and I was proud of myself for not crumpling into a pool of tears. If I were to do it, now would be the time. I couldn’t do it at home, Kyuhyun would ask questions.

I headed straight for the bathroom as soon as I got home. Soap. Water. I needed to wash him off of me. After undressing, I stepped into the shower, the water was scalding and I winced but didn’t turn it down to lower the temperature. I would burn him off of me if I had to. Kyuhyun was probably sleeping so I tried to be quick so the spray of the water wouldn’t wake him. 

Wishful thinking. I had just scrubbed myself down for the third time when I felt hands on me. I gasped and dropped the soap, turning in place to see Kyuhyun with his hair sticking up all over. Stupid me, who else would it be?

“Hey, LeeLee,” he said with a sleepy smile. “You just getting back?”

I smiled at him and nodded, reaching up to cup his cheek.

“Yeah, just getting home. Did I wake you?”

We showered like we normally would but Kyuhyun didn’t put the moves on me because I had worked for so long. He helped dry me off after we stepped out and walked with me into the bedroom. He asked if I wanted to put on any pajamas but I merely shook my head and crawled into bed, slipping under the covers. I felt right to sleep.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

And this is how my life was for a few months. I worked at the cafe like normal but Zhoumi’s calls and texts, mostly texts, were random and out of the blue. And they were always late. He never wanted to see me during the day. I don’t know if I should be grateful about that or not. 

The first several times we would meet at the same hotel. Then, after a while, Zhoumi changed the hotel. Then he moved to some sort of condo. It wasn’t where he slept every night but it was still a property that belonged to him, that he owned. He kept to his word and didn’t leave any marks but he was still rougher with me than what Kyuhyun had ever been. I definitely had to take it easy the next day or so. Kyuhyun said that I was working too hard but I just smiled and waved him off, saying it was nothing. I really needed to work on my acting skills if I didn’t want Kyuhyun to worry or think something was up.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Hangeng glanced over at Leeteuk as he wiped down the counter like he usually did when he was trying to appear busy. Heechul had just left so he was already bored out of his skull, but he still had a business to run. Once his eyes landed on Leeteuk, though, he scowled to himself. His best employee wasn’t looking too good lately. If Leeteuk had been sick, he was pretty sure the other male would have said something or asked for some time off. 

He swiveled his gaze to the counter where Kyuhyun was sitting, playing on Leeteuk’s laptop. The cafe owner sidled over to Kyuhyun, crossing his arms and resting them on the counter as he leaned into them so he could talk to Kyuhyun in private.

“Yah Kyuhyun. Leeteuk okay lately? He looks exhausted.”

Kyuhyun looked up to glance at Hangeng before looking around to see Leeteuk. He tipped his head to the side and gave a small nod. 

“He’s been working two jobs. The other one usually calls him late and he goes right in without question. He should really rest more but he’s really worried about money,” he mumbled softly, not wanting to clue his boyfriend into the fact that he was talking about him to his boss.

“Second job?” Hangeng asked curiously, straightening up a bit.

Kyuhyun blinked and nodded his head. “He didn’t tell you?”

Hangeng shook his head as his brows pulled down. “He never mentioned anything about a second job.”

Kyuhyun rubbed the back of his neck, looking up as Leeteuk made his way down the hall to grab something out of the stock room. 

“You know … not that you really need to know this, but we haven’t been intimate so much lately either. I guess that’s just because he’s so exhausted with the second job. He usually comes home and showers and goes straight to bed. He’s sore the next day or two.”

“What sort of job is this?”

“Another cafe, he said. Open twenty-four hours a day.”

“You know, Kyuhyun. You’re here all the time anyway, I might as well pay you to work. You could be a dishwasher with Henry or a busboy. Leeteuk says you’re good with numbers, you could work in the office. Anything so long as Teuk doesn’t have to work himself to the bone like this. If he’s so worried about money you both can work for me and he can quit that second job of his. That should be good enough, right? I’d pay you under the table, tax free. I know you have issues that won’t let you apply for a job legally. We’d skip all the paperwork.”

Kyuhyun was grinning broadly, loving the idea that Hangeng had come up with. How great would it be to work in the same place as his boyfriend? Sounded like a dream come true. Then he’d be able to help pay the bills and help provide for them. He wouldn’t feel useless anymore. This was perfect.

“I’ll run that by him tonight! Thanks, Hangeng!”

But Kyuhyun didn’t have the chance to talk to Leeteuk after work because Leeteuk’s cell phone went off and he had to go to his second job. So instead, Kyuhyun stayed up sitting at the kitchen table, eager to tell Leeteuk the good news when he got back from his second job. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	39. Found Out

I dropped the keys to the apartment twice while I was trying to unlock it after arriving home from being with Zhoumi. I was more than exhausted. He had really tried to break me this time. He was angry with me that I hadn’t been as responsive lately, claiming that I was just lying there and taking it. Instead of leaving marks, he had pulled my hair. I frowned as I rubbed the back of my head, bending down to pick up the keys to try unlocking the door again. 

I was surprised to see Kyuhyun at the kitchen table when I entered our apartment. It was so late. 

“Kyuhyun? Are you okay?” I asked as I shrugged off my light jacket to hang up in the hall, coming to his side right after. But the smile on his face put me at ease and I looked at him with question.

“I have great news,” he beamed proudly.

He filled me in on what him and Hangeng had talked about at the cafe today. My heart felt so heavy. Yes, it was all wonderful, it was a great idea. But I couldn’t stop going to Zhoumi. Kyuhyun thought it was a second job but it wasn’t that simple. If I could quit, I never would have started in the first place. 

“That’s great, sweetie,” I started slowly, stroking his cheek while I searched for an explanation. “But … I can’t quit just yet. It’s great that Hangeng offered you a job and I bet you’re more than thrilled to work. But I have to work this second job just a little while longer before I can quit, okay? I can’t just … poof out of there after having started not too long ago.”

I hoped the explanation would be enough. He seemed to understand but I bet he was just happy that he was able to work and help out around here aside from doing chores. I made a comment that him doing such things was a big help but he waved a hand, saying something along the lines of now he was making his own money and that was much more impressive than washing a few dishes.

I understood where he was coming from, I really did. And I was happy for him that Hangeng had offered him a job. So much so that i made sure to tell Hangeng thank you the next time I saw him. But it didn’t help to get me out of this Zhoumi situation. I couldn’t just not show if he summoned me. What if he showed up at our apartment and made a scene? I couldn’t stand it if Kyuhyun were to find out that way. I stretched up onto my toes to kiss Kyuhyun, rubbing my nose into his neck for a moment before pulling away. 

“Shower?” he questioned and I merely nodded. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

I think I had pissed Zhoumi off the last time I had gone to meet up with him. He hadn’t contacted me for almost a week and that was more than fine by me. Kyuhyun and I were able to cross a few more things off that list of his during that time. He was thrilled at that prospect and I was just glad I was able to spend some much needed time with Kyuhyun in that way. I felt bad because I knew we hadn’t done anything like that since I had become his technical owner again. It wasn’t fair to him to withhold sex for so long and yes I wanted to be with him like that too but it was hard when I was with his ex master in that way. It was all just a big mess.

Kyuhyun had started working at the cafe during that week. It didn’t really take much getting used to because he was always at the cafe with me anyway. He was just moving around a lot more now instead of sitting in one place. The other staff members seemed more than fine with the addition, especially Chanyeol since he was now working with his best bud. I was glad that Kyuhyun had made such a good friend.  

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

But then Zhoumi contacted me once more and everything was back to the way it had been. Working supposed “double shifts”. Going from one cafe to the next. I had become so exhausted one night that I didn’t even realize that I had made a mistake. 

I had come home from the cafe and had crawled into bed with Kyuhyun. I was in my favorite position of being the small spoon and just on the verge of sleep when my phone went off. 

“LeeLee,” Kyuhyun groaned as he stretched. “Phone.”

I groaned as well and reached for it, seeing that I had a text from Zhoumi. It said that we needed to talk so I didn’t figure it was a usual meeting.

“What is it?” Kyuhyun murmured.

“I left something at the cafe. I’ll be right back.”

How could I have been so stupid? Even if I _had_ been exhausted, I had been doing so well and hadn’t slipped during all these months. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

**Kyuhyun’s POV**

 

If LeeLee had left something at the cafe, couldn’t he just go get it the next time he worked? It seemed a bit fishy to me and I know it was wrong of me, I really do, but I waited a couple beats after I heard the door shut before following after Leeteuk. I know, I know. He’s never given me a reason to not trust him in all this time that we’ve been together but I just had this inkling that I should follow him so damn it that’s what I did. 

I stayed far enough away so I wouldn’t be discovered, pulling my jacket around me to help keep me warm. I was right to suspect something because he didn’t take the usual route to the cafe. He was going in the complete opposite direction. This rubbed me the wrong way. 

My feet seemed to know where we were going before my brain figured it out. I knew this place, this condo. What the _fuck_ was Leeteuk doing here? How the _hell_ did he know where this place was? What the fuck was going on here?!

I hid behind a tree as I watched my lover knock on the door. He didn’t look too happy to be here which was a good thing but it didn’t make me feel any fucking better. Especially when the door opened and there was my ex master glaring down at my new one. This wasn’t good at all. I took a step forward as Zhoumi’s hand lunged out to grasp the front of Leeteuk’s clothes, tugging him inside before slamming the door shut.

Oh shit. Shit shit shit _fuck_. I couldn’t go in there and haul his ass back out. But I couldn’t just sit here and wait for him to come back out. What the fuck was going on?

Then it hit me. Oh my god. No wonder Zhoumi let me go out of the blue. How could he resist sinking his claws into Leeteuk? My heart felt heavy and I staggered in place as I clutched at my chest. Leeteuk had traded himself for me. He had given himself up to Zhoumi so I could be let free. He never had a second job. All this time. All this time he’s been with …. _all_ this _time_?! I was stunned that Leeteuk had sacrificed himself like that just to save me. 

What the fuck should I do now? We could run away. Just up and go. Leeteuk would worry about money, but as long as we were together, I was more than okay wth sleeping under a bridge or some shit like that. I couldn’t ask that of Leeteuk though, he had already gone through so much just to save my hide. Fuck!

I pushed away from the tree I had been leaning against to march my ass back home. I had some serious thinking to do. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	40. Doting

Needless to say, Zhoumi hadn’t wanted to talk and that’s where I knew I had made a mistake. I was gone far longer than I should have been. He had been rough again, trying to get a reaction out of me. He had been successful if tears were what he was going for. 

Kyuhyun was in bed by the time I got back and didn’t join me in the bathroom. That was okay with me, I wasn’t so sure I could put on a brave face for him this time around. I was so sore that I didn’t shower, opting for a bath instead. I made the water as hot as I could stand it before slipping in. 

I was careful to not jostle Kyuhyun as I got into bed but it seemed like he was already awake because he slid over to me as soon as I had settled on my side. His arm wound around my waist and he held me close, burying his face into my hair. 

“Hey Kyuhyun~” I whispered softly, reaching down to rub at the arm that was around my waist.

“Leeteuk,” he replied, speaking into my hair. 

I smiled to myself and closed my eyes. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Kyuhyun seemed different lately. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, but something was up. It’s like … if I needed anything, anything at all, he made sure he was the one that got it for me. At work, at home, everywhere. I didn’t know what was up with him but I also didn’t ask. 

He was even more doting at home. If I left something in another room, he would shoot to his feet and go get it for me. He wouldn’t let me pick up my own dishes to put in the sink, had to do it himself. Heck, he wouldn’t even let me do the dishes even though we were both working now. I still did the cooking because Kyuhyun never learned how to do much more than boil water. I didn’t say anything about the way he was acting because he honestly seemed to enjoy being so helpful.  

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

Through all my experience with being with Zhoumi, I was slowly developing a plan that might make him free me sooner than he had planned. I just had to bite the bullet and deal with whatever he dished out at me, which was easier said than done. Having the no marks rule would definitely help in my favor. It had taken a while to fully develop it, but it was time to start putting it into the works.

Every time that Zhoumi contacted me, I went just as he bid. Of course I did, I couldn’t just stop showing up. However, no matter how rough he tried to be with me without leaving marks, I tried to hold still, to not show any emotion on my face. A doll. That’s what I was trying to be. It only pissed him off and spurred him on more and at first I would break every now and then, but I eventually got the hang of it.

I would just let my mind wander, drift off to someplace else. Once I figured out my method, it was surprisingly say to do, almost scary. I could tell in some part of my head that Zhoumi was beyond livid, but I stuck to my guns. 

Eventually, my plan worked out. It was the fourth night in a row that Zhoumi had called for me and I was beyond drained. I showed up at his place and went through all the motions. We had long since ended up in his bed while doing these things. It took a bit to get over at the beginning but it was just one more obstacle to get over. 

I was on my back, staring up at the ceiling, much like the first night when this had all started. My arms were limp at my sides and he was on top of me, but I wasn’t really focused on him. He was a blur while I was tying to make out patterns in the ceiling, like children did with clouds. His growl pulled me away from my reverie. 

“That’s _it_!” he growled as he propped himself up so he could glare down at me. “I”m done with you! You’re not even responsive anymore. Did I really break you that quickly? You just lay there numb. I can _easily_ find a new, better victim. Get the hell out of my sight.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. At first, I didn’t know if he would really let me go, but he just sat there fuming as I tugged my clothes on and rushed out of his condo. I practically ran the whole way home, albeit a bit awkwardly. 

I wasn’t expecting to find Kyuhyun at the kitchen table when I got home, tears rolling down his cheeks. 

Rushing to his side, I wrapped my arms around him. 

“Kyuhyun! What is it? What’s wrong?” I asked as I ran my fingers through his soft hair. 

“I know. I know, Leeteuk. I’ve known for months now,” he whispered, one of his hands closing into a fist on the kitchen table.

I froze, my whole body plunged into ice water. There was only one thing he could be talking about.

“I want you to stop. Please stop.”

My throat ran dry and I know my fingers had stopped moving. Tears sprung to my eyes and my legs were about to give out. Kyuhyun caught me before I was able to hit the floor. I was squished against his chest and I let the sobs come. If Kyuhyun could cry, I felt like I was finally able to as well. I’m not sure how long I cried before finally trying to speak, but my body was sore from all the shaking of my shoulders and convulsing of my muscles. 

“He let me go,” I struggled to get out and Kyuhyun looked at me incredulously. I shook my head and continued on. “N-no really. Tonight. Last night, he’s done with me. I … I wasn’t good enough anymore.” Not that I was crying because he had hurt my feelings. Good riddance. 

Kyuhyun cupped my face in his hands and he kissed me all over. I closed my eyes so he had free reign, placing my own hands on top of his. 

“I love you, Leeteuk. You know that right? Not just as a master or owner or some crap like that. I really love you. Please don’t ever keep something like this from me again. I understand why you did it and I’m touched, I really am. But god … this has been killing me. I can’t imagine how much you’ve been carrying on your shoulders every day since he let me go. I’m so, so sorry.”

I was crying all over again. Not because I had more to release from keeping this from him for all this time, but because he finally said he loved me. I clung to him tightly and I secretly dared him to try and pry me off of him tonight. There was no way I was letting go. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	41. Epilogue

Kyuhyun and I walked around on eggshells for a while after that night. We weren’t honestly sure if Zhoumi would let things end that easily. Kyuhyun suggested changing my phone number but then I pointed out that Zhoumi could just show up at our apartment. That’s when we had the conversation about whether or not we should move. It took a couple days for us to come to a decision but we both decided that we would feel better if we moved to a different apartment. Plus, Kyuhyun liked the idea of having a while new list to work with. 

Donghae, Eunhyuk and Chanyeol helped us move. Heechul and Hangeng had been invited to help but they were otherwise engaged. Having the other three was more than enough. Kyuhyun and I didn’t have much stuff to move, it was just the heavier things we needed help with and Eunhyuk and Chanyeol definitely came in handy for those items. 

We moved into an apartment that was closer to the cafe since we both worked there.  The apartment complex was literally on the same block so we would be able to sleep in more on the days we had work. Hangeng made sure to schedule us at the same time, not that Kyuhyun really needed much of a schedule. He was just a general helper, lending a hand here and there. 

We don’t exactly know when it was or what caused Kyuhyun to not be able to turn into a kitten anymore. We were just grateful that he couldn’t. If anyone asked, we just said that KyuKyu had run away. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

_ It isn’t as simple as Kyuhyun admitting his love for Leeteuk, although that was a great part as to why he was no longer able to turn into a kitten, effectively breaking the binds of the curse. The curse was broken because two souls had been saved, not just one. While one was able to learn to trust again, the other was finally able to love. So while Kyuhyun finally saying he loved Leeteuk was the finishing touch, it only worked because Leeteuk had let Kyuhyun into his heart, a heart that had been destroyed once before.  _

_** ~Le Fin~  ** _


End file.
